[spade]

Leading the WindClan leader into his den, Kestrelstar tried to formulate exactly what he needed to say. He didn't want to take up too much of her time, but the issue at paw was growing worse the more days that passed, and already he couldn't tell if this leaf-bare had been colder than the last. Snow had yet to fall, and he had a gut suspicion that Dawnstar and her band of toad-hearted warriors would try to take advantage of such a situation and launch another attack. He'd had yet to retaliate, as he considered the patrols that had reared up to face the onslaught of trespassing ShadowClan warriors and successfully driving them back retaliation enough.

But now they had targeted two Clans, and while the gray tabby was uncertain where Twilightstar's head lay in this entire situation, something told him she wasn't about to take this lying down.

"I assume you already know of the situation I wish to speak of," Kestrelstar began as he turned and took a seat in his den. It was pretty barren, save for his nest and a few pretty flowers and stones that dotted it - gifts from Petuniapaw. Shaking the missing she-cat from his thoughts, he lifted his yellow gaze to watch Twilightstar. "Dawnstar expects me to retaliate. Her border attack was a call for attention, a bait that the younger, more naive version of me would've snatched up right away. Splashleap informed me that my patrols had been able to drive them away, but I worry what her plans are come leaf-bare." It was clear that Dawnstar viewed her Clan as disposable weapons, which Kestrelstar could understand if only because he had too once upon a time; no longer, though.

Not wasting any time, the gray tabby let a soft sigh escape past tightly lined lips. "I know you and your Clan are still recovering, and the last times you have faced ShadowClan have ended poorly." Fernpaw. Fernpaw had been a casualty of their last go-round with ShadowClan, and a pang of grief slices through Kestrelstar's heart. "But I'm ready to do something about it. About Dawnstar. Her and her band of toads have grown too cocky. I know you had a good relationship with Lionstorm before his passing, and that WindClan and RiverClan have had a friendly history for quite some time. I hope that in turn, you can trust me as well as RiverClan's new leader, and hear when I say that if the time ever comes to go up against that fool of a tyrant again, RiverClan will be right alongside you."

When he had first started his leadership, Kestrelstar had not planned on offering over his warriors to anyone. But Dawnstar was more than just a thorn in his side; she was a terror whos shadows were slowly concealing the entire forest in nightfall. If nothing was done about it soon, he was worried that there would be nothing recognizable to remain of his home. Yellow gaze shimmering as he watched Twilightstar, he waited for what her opinion was on all of this.

// @Moonraven