RiverClan Territory

[~Vixen~]

she smirked and raised her tail smashing it on the water sending water flying onto willowsong

[BEAR.]

@Raywood

By this point in his life, the only cats Bucknight had were his adopted sister and Cakeless. His adopted mother had expired some moons back; his adopted father and other siblings were never around, and a part of him suspected they had met their own demise. Good riddance.

The only cat in the world worth watching was Cakeless, and though Bucknight understood his depreciating statement was a joke, the thought of his friend thinking that was almost heart-breaking. "Can I not get away with staring at you the whole day while maintaining my duties as a leader?" he questioned. "Since you can get away with staring at me the whole day and dodge your duties?"

As fun as it would be to include the Dusk Syndicate in his plans, did he really need them? Relying on others for help and to do work he could've done cost him his first reign. Besides, how did he know he could trust Renn to keep his word? The commander could easy turn on his word.

His original thoughts had been on his clan-mates; sacrificing the mercenaries prior to his own perishing. Yet, how many of his clan-mates weren't expendable? Sure, there were those that supported him he'd like to keep around, but a hefty amount of the clan opposed him - and he knew if they knew his plans, it'd only be worse. What was losing a few of them?

"WindClan?" he murmured. "Well, if I know anything about Dapplestar and her filthy spawn, it's that they can't leave things be. Assuming the fire doesn't spread to their territory - and the chances of that is unlikely unless the wind is against us, she'll send out a patrol to assist ThunderClan with the fire. She trusts Ashstar; she'll want to keep relations between their clan good. So, we ambush the patrol and take them hostage. A bargaining chip, if you will. I know she can't resist a good compromise." This was said with a smirk, the distant memory of a caged, broken Dapplestar in his mind. "If the fire does spread like I hope, we can also attack them during their hysteria. It'll be a two-for-one special."

[Fawn]

@Lunacross

“No, my laziness will rub off on you,” he responded quickly, not that he thought it’d become a self-fulfilling prophecy when Bucknight couldn’t afford to be lazy with the plans he had in mind for the rest of the forest. Appearing amused as if the two could even be compared, Cakeless meowed, “That’s because you’re actually attractive. Wish I could say the same for myself.” After a second’s pause, he added in a playful, mock gasp, “Is that why you allow me to be the most slacking warrior in RiverClan, so I stare at you all day? I didn’t realize you were that self-absorbed, but it makes sense now. I bet you just trip over roots to get my attention!” The accusation was wild and had no weight behind it, but it was a humorous situation to think about.

Unaware of Bucknight’s cognitions and conclusion that the Dusk Syndicate would no longer be a stepping stone in the takeover, Cakeless was left with uncertainties; the gang, although he had never formally met them, was a ruthless bunch of disloyal killers. It was a risk to get them involved and count on their participation when, at any time, the Commander could recognize there was little to gain.

“Having a measly patrol wouldn’t be a very good bargaining chip,” the tom mentioned dryly, giving a light shrug of his shoulders. It wouldn’t be useless, either, but it was far from the amount of power they needed to aim for. However, as Bucknight went on, his statement was amended. “So RiverClan and ShadowClan forces waiting to ambush when WindClan and ThunderClan have no choice but to flee?” The issue was it might be slightly implausible and difficult to organize, but where else would the victims of the fire go? Their choices were limited—stay and be burned alive, adopt the loner lifestyle, or join the ranks as a slave to the new reign. Mentally, he mapped it out and a strange, complacent chuckle escaped him, “They’ll have nowhere to run except the twoleg place or the Clans.” The latter being optimal, as at least they would receive cheap labor out of the ordeal.

Dropping the thought with a small shake of his head, Cakeless inquired, “Is that it? Sounds like a solid plan to me.” He wasn’t clear on where they’d be getting the fire supplies, but he guessed Bucknight had an understanding of how to accomplish that.

[BEAR.]

@Raywood

"You'd think if it were going to rub off on me, it would've by now." Plans kept him in line, and while he'd love to lounge around all day, he couldn't fit it in his schedule. "For someone that claims they're not attractive, you're certainly stunning, dear." He smiled. "What did I ever do to attract the interest of a gorgeous tom like yourself?" Tripping not included. Hopefully. "Oh no, you're onto me and my plans! How will I ever maintain your attention via tripping now?"

"Dapplestar values the lives of her clan-mates dearly. It's one of her flaws. But my hope is, in that scenario - it'll hold more precious cargo than a few commoners. Her children are warriors, and if even just one was on that patrol and were held hostage .. what do you think she'd do to get them back?" A lifetime ago, she barged into his camp to demand kits that weren't even hers back. He hadn't even stolen them! They wandered into his territory and he took the opportunity to take them as his own. Well, as prisoners, but that wasn't the point.

With WindClan and ThunderClan having only a couple options, it would be easy to overtake their forces. "I doubt many will go the twoleg place route," he added. "There's a thunder path that should deter them." Not many cats liked to risk losing their lives to the paws of the monsters.

There was a place not far from the clans Bucknight knew twolegs set fires, and he didn't think it would be difficult to steal flames when they weren't looking. "Perhaps," he hummed, "we could do without the Dusk Syndicate. It's easier to drop dead weight - and the possibility of them betraying us. I'd rather not have us be flanked while we're focused on ambushing ThunderClan and WindClan." This meant he would need to steal fire from the twolegs himself. Nothing to worry about.

[Fawn]

@Lunacross

Cakeless figured that was true and elicited a quiet snicker, along with a meow of, “I guess you’re able to resist my charm. Plan foiled.” What Bucknight said to combat his self-deprecating comment raised skepticism within the younger tom, and he resisted the urge to burst out in laughter at the ridiculousness of such a statement. “Stunningly ugly,” he corrected playfully with a roll of his eyes. “Seizing the entirety RiverClan might have helped.” In honesty, he had noticed Bucknight many moons before he became a leader of the Clan. They’d crossed paths as a kit and an apprentice during the flood, and had grown up as mentor and apprentice, and now leader and warrior. It’d been a long journey that was far from ending.

“What do we need from her? Dapplestar doesn’t have a lot to provide, and if she values her clanmates or kits so much, who’s to say she’d give over the Clan?” That’d be a losing scenario, likely for both parties. “Wouldn’t we be better off using her or her precious kits,” it was said mockingly, “as a dead bargaining piece..?” It wasn’t that he was evil, at least not in the sense that he wished to kill every feline who walked the forest with StarClan as a guide, but he was compelled to secure the loose ends to prevent an uprising or oversight.

It wasn’t an idea he would suggest seriously since RiverClan lacked the training to make it a reality and execute it without major losses, but forcing WindClan’s stragglers to fight on the thunderpath was a thought worth consideration.

He’d been about to reply approvingly on the abandonment of the Dusk Syndicate in their conquest for territorial domination, however Cakeless stopped short as he opened his mouth only to be met with the trace of a scent that made his heart skip a beat. Probably just passed through a few hours ago, he told himself but brown eyes were already scanning the area for any sign of the creature’s presence. Remaining silent, he felt a cold chill in his paws — it swept throughout his body as he realized although the scent was faint, it was growing stronger.

[Gusty]

Originally Posted by Duskflight

Stoatfang was indeed one of the strangest toms to have lived in Riverclan and he confused and agitated a good many of cat that lived here so it wasn't particularly surprising that Blizzardfoot was confused about him and his way of speech and just him in general, in fact, it was quite expected. Though what was strange is that she was actually curious as to why, most simply got annoyed and went about ignoring him, not that he really cared, he'd simply move on to the next cat, flaunting and joking as he did, it gave him the attention he believe he deserved.
The brown and white tabby tom looked over his shoulder as he waited for her at the end of the entrance, his paws placed in the territory, a glimmer of impatience quivering through him but he kept it under control as he waited for the she-cat to follow suite. He had to remember that it hadn't been too long since the other warrior woke up.
Her question sent a shock of anger through him and he clenched his jaws shut, closing his eyes momentarily. How could she not know who he was? He was one of the best cats in Riverclan and she didn't even know his name! Cool it Stoatfang, just cool it. Hissing out a quiet, slow exhale, he slowly opened his eyes and looked over his shoulder again, more eager to get into the territory to show off his hunting skills than stand around chatting. "The name is Stoatfang." meowed the tom simply enough with a flick of his tail and began to eagerly pad into the territory. "I mean, I know I look good, but I didn't think I looked so good it could make cats forget my name!" he snorted out.

Blizzardfoot paused for a moment in her tracks, almost hesitating for a few seconds as Stoatfang's message processed within her mind. But then all seemed well and she kept moving forwards. The long-haired molly followed the warrior out of the clearing and into the damp land. The rivers and streams that filled RiverClan territory should be coming up ahead by now. That was what they were known for, anyways.
As she continued her little walk into the foresty land, she began to think to herself. What the tom just said was a bit strange. In fact, everything was strange so far- she almost wanted to laugh at how unusual it was. This brown-and-white warrior was like a game to unlock. She'd have a few pieces here and there, but never truly finish the puzzle. Why, they'd only talked for a few moments, for a few times, over the course of a lifetime. Why would he be so upset about her not knowing his name? As if he'd have such a good memory and remember everyone he meets; there were an awful lot of warriors in this clan! The molly's thoughts were purely innocent; she was only curious on how Stoatfang's mind had acted that way.
But like most things that came to her mind, she lightly shrugged it off like a pesky fly. His last words didn't bother her on an emotional level. "Sorry to hear that; I didn't know it mattered so much to you."
After the words escaped her mouth, she began thinking about it more. It hit her then, that she was a bit more forgetful than she thought she was originally. Her memory definitely wasn't the greatest, and names fell into this category.
...or maybe the last thought was merely influenced by Stoatfang's words. Letting out a soft sigh, the warrior stopped her thoughts and placed her gaze upon her companion.

[lone]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

~for @Empress Of Evil~

Summerpaw padded into the territory, her sage green hues looking backwards to see if Brackenpaw was following her. Her fluffy calico tail waved back and forth slightly, her expression excited and pleased to have a companion. "I believe I'll go ahead and go for a swim, get this dust off now...how about you?" She remarked, stopping and waiting for her companion as that was the polite thing to do. She appreciated Brackenpaw's company...he was a friendly, pleasant tom who had been the first to not flinch away at her flirting with him. Although she wasn't completely sure that he had understood what had happened, it was still nice...perhaps there would be other cats like that later on, but for now she was glad to be who she was, and without many friends. The she cat grinned at Brackenpaw, hints of mischief glinting in her sage hues, and her grin having the slightest bit of a flirtatious smirk to it, although she mainly just looked happy.

Bump for @Empress Of Evil

[lyra]

Originally Posted by vixenandwillowlikecookie

she smirked and raised her tail smashing it on the water sending water flying onto willowsong

Willowsong let out a burst of laughter and splashed her back. Just doing this made her feel like a kit again, whenever she, Gentlemist, and Rainberry would play together. Speaking to Rainberry, she lifted her nose and sniffed the air. // Rainberry padded over to the two. "Still childish as always," She muttered, although a grin was spreading across her face. Sitting down on the grass, Rainberry curled her tail neatly around her paws while watching her friends play. "What's got you two so happy?" The she-cat asked.

[BEAR.]

@Raywood

"That just means you have to devise a new plan," he said. "Shouldn't be onerous." Bucknight glanced at his friend quizzically. "There're many things in this world that are unappealing to the eye. But you're not one of those. You're - exquisite." There were few words that could come close to giving Cakeless justice when it came to compliments. Vocabulary was a disgrace in his presence. "I wonder how much of your attention I could elicit if I had the entire forest in my claws." While he liked to think he was in control of the entirety of RiverClan, there were cats still at hand he needed to crush in both body and soul. If only he could initiate the purge early.

Admittedly, Bucknight didn't quite grasp Cakeless's train of thought. "We don't need anything from her, but it'd be quite nice if our takeover of WindClan was as smooth as a peach, yeah? If we were to, let's say kill her kits before her clan was in our grasp, who's to say she wouldn't retaliate against us? She would not win against our army, but in this scenario the soldiers we wish to keep around; our followers, will be in peak condition. Less casualties and injuries on our part. And assuming she did surrender, we could always publicly execute her and her spawn. WindClan can watch their precious leader die in vain." Cats would die in due time. But in the case of a compromise, Bucknight saw it more beneficial if they played the game and lured them into a false sense of security, then annihilated their hopes and dreams.

He stopped in place, visibly tensing as the taste of the creature hit his tongue. As faint as it was, he could detect it was growing stronger, and a low growl rumbled in his throat. None of the patrols had reported the scent of fox in the territory, and Bucknight took a cautionary step back, protectively inched closer to Cakeless as he watched their surroundings. The rustling of nearby foliage and the snapping of sticks left him ansty; prepared for the worse.

[Fawn]

@Lunacross

"Exquisite, huh?" Cakeless repeated, amused but appreciative of the gesture and Bucknight's slightly clumsy means of emotionally expressing himself. He got points for trying at the very least, when half of the time Cakeless didn't bother with romantic sentiments, preferring a blunt route in expressing his affection. Recalling the pet names that'd been tossed in his direction earlier, a faint smile crossed his muzzle as he murmured a dismissive, "Whatever you say, dear." Terms of endearment felt a bit awkward coming from him, but he figured - if anyone - Bucknight was the cat that deserved to hear them.

He shook his head, "Not like that. We kill her precious kits but use them as a bargaining piece regardless. Dapplestar doesn't need to know she's giving over her Clan for a couple of corpses." The goal was to gain WindClan with the smallest amount of follower casualties possible, and having Dapplestar in their grasp, along with her deceased kits, wouldn't be a terrible situation at all. "Or we could wait until Dapplestar is present and captured to kill them in front of her," he meowed thoughtfully but dismissed the idea, as it wouldn't matter one way or the other.

Focus remaining on the intrusive scent, his pace slowed then stopped entirely, and he gave Bucknight a cross between an alarmed and inquisitive expression, as if silently wondering if he smelled it too. Cakeless couldn't recall the warriors reporting a fox within the territory, but he wasn't lured in by a false sense of security when his hackles were instinctively raising in fear. While he hoped it was an older scent, every passing moment seemed to break that prayer, especially as the crackling of paw steps and crunching leaves caught his attention. The creature was nearby and had likely realized their presence, much to the tom's dismay. Tension coursed through his body, and he couldn't help but radiate sheer panic with his heart in his throat, expecting the beast to jump out at them. Suspension gripped him as the noise and scent grew nearer, and it caused his entire frame to quake when the deep growl hit his ears; that one hadn't come from his companion.

In another second, the waiting game was brought to an abrupt and startling halt as the fox took a snarling leap toward them from the bushes, Cakeless moving out of the way with not a moment to spare. He could feel its hot breath on his heels as it snapped at him viciously with razor-sharp teeth. Whirling around, he was prepared to launch an attack but faltered just a hair too long as he was stunned by its monstrous size, and the fox took advantage of his pause -- forceful jaws clasped around his shoulder, drawing blood dangerously close to his neck. Cakeless squirmed violently in an attempt to break loose, clawing and biting for his life.