Price To Pay [N/E Battle]

[Firefly]

The dark gray tabby tom barely heard a single word Bluestorm said to him, and instead turn his attention to the goings on of the rest of the warriors. He had no idea that she harbored affections or any sort of interest in him. He was completely oblivious to that sort of thing. He didn't know why any she-cat would like him anyway, so he didn't know how to keep a lookout for the signs.

Blackstorm watched as Scatterstar sent off the three warriors on their mission. He saw them head down into the lower lands of EastClan, rippling through the grass. They couldn't be seen approaching that way. It was an interesting tactic, crawling through the grass, almost on their bellies. "Good choice to send some scouts," he meowed to Scatterstar, ever concerned about being seen as important in the eyes of a superior. "We can use their report to our advantage."

[Bloodpaw]

Eclipsesun was somewhat disappointed that he didn't get to go along with the other three warriors on their recon mission. He sat down in the grass, pushing it out of his face with one paw. This is the worst territory for NorthClan. Our lands are filled with flat grass and rocky terrain, he thought. Our lands are not filled with annoying grass and no shelter. He felt empty without the towering mountains behind him. The mountains made the cats of NorthClan feel safe and secure.

Right now all he could see was plains stretching until they hit the forest where SouthClan lived. Eclipsesun had barely been close to SouthClan territory before, because most of it was surrounded by EastClan or WestClan territory. He hoped they'd never have to invade SouthClan. That was far too much walking.

[sil]

Fishbone followed behind his Clanmates, winding his long, short frame around the tall stalks of half-frozen wheat and grass. His beige-ringed, tapered tail flicked about just above the heads of wheat and his jaw was slightly parted, taking in the smell of the fields, the rank of EastClan cats, and the fleeting scent of prey. It was true what they said, then, that prey was more bountiful here, even in leaf-bare. But even the dopiest of rabbits wouldn’t find themselves within a hundred fox-lengths of this place.

He caught up to NorthClan in time to see the three warriors slink away toward the EastClan camp with their bellies to the wet, icy ground. Sharing a neutral glance with each Clanmate in turn, Fishbone padded up alongside Scatterstar. He bowed his head deeply in respect toward his deputy and leader, his gaze not straying from the three young warriors creeping away. Although he had only been made a warrior a few moons before the two cats in the lead of the reconnaissance, he carried no emotion for the idea of Scatterstar sending out the two inexperienced warriors.

Instead, something else bothered him. ”Two new warriors who did not sit through their silent vigil,” he meowed lowly, shaking his broad, dark head. ”StarClan won’t favor us in this war.” Fishbone turned his orange eyes away from the fields to meet his leader’s gaze.

[equus]

"Mmhm," Freezecloud murmured in response to Poisonthorn. To Bluestripe she said, "Scatterstar didn't specify what sort, he just wants us to find some way to breach their camp." Freezecloud slowed down, rearing slightly onto her hind legs to peek over the grass. Several tail-lengths in front of them, the ground dropped away. The camp. "We're here," she said. Creeping forward slowly, she peered between gaps in the grass. No doubt her coat stuck out like a frozen precipice, but EastClan seemed preoccupied with the oncoming attack. Looking closer, she noticed none of the warriors seemed like they were about to battle. In fact, none of them showed much aggression at all. Could it be that they didn't know about the attack? Had Sunstripe never made it home?

[owlflight]

Owlflight pawed the grass nervously as the NorthClan warriors waited for Freezecloud and her patrol to return. Her thoughts echoed what Fishbone said. Could he be right? Was NorthClan doomed because Freezecloud and Poisonthorn didn't sit vigil?

She stared hopelessly at Puddlewhisker. She didn't want to believe her harsh outlook. But that was a hard thing to do. "You heard what Fishbone said." Owlflight mewed. "Do you really think StarClan is on our side?"

Then, without another word, Owlflight bounded a few fox lengths ahead. She parted her jaws to take in the unfamiliar scents of EastClan territory. This is not NorthClan. She thought harshly. Scatterstar must be mad.

[Kenya]

The tall wheat parted as Lightningfur stepped through it. Everything was so open! Northclan didn't belong here. Her ginger and white tail flicked back and forth nervously as she stalked forward to join the rest of her clanmates with her ears pricked forward to listen to their words. Lightningfur padded over to join Puddlewhisker and Owlflight. "This can't really be the will of Starclan, can it?" she meowed quietly to herself as the long strands stuck into her sides. The lack of cover made her knead her paws into the ground uneasily. She would follow her leader anywhere, but at what cost to their clan would Scatterstar go for victory?

The terrain was uncomfortable as it rubbed and pricked at her white paws. Paws that were well used to her territory in the mountains. Atleast her ginger and white pelt hid better than some of the others of her clan here. Lightningfur lifted her nose and parted her jaws to take in the scents around her. She could scent the prey but Eastclan easily overwhelmed it with their own stench. Her pelt bristled as her gaze drifted among her clan mates and rested on her leader.

Lightningfur's ears turned to hear the talk of her clanmates but her gaze didn't leave the Northclan leader for a few heartbeats. Finally she moved her gaze away from him to the other cats around him. She felt the battle would cause deaths for both clans but still she would fight.

[Durango]

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[atrb=background, i52.tinypic.com/5f2eiw.png] Scatterstar The NorthClan leader narrowed his icy blue eyes. He could hear the murmurs of doubt from a few of his warriors, though he did not betray the fact that he overheard. He stared out into the distance, biting his tongue until his sharp teeth started to make it bleed. He would not win a war with faithless warriors. He turned to his deputy, murmuring, "I doubt the loyalties of my warriors sometimes." "I can hear them. They think StarClan will not favor us in this battle, well I say that StarClan will favor no Clan in this battle, because StarClan has forsaken us all," Scatterstar growled to Blackstorm. "This war will be won by our claws and our teeth, and no divine intervention will decide who this territory will belong to." He realized that his words were harsh as he spoke them, but Blackstorm would not doubt him, and the leaders and medicine cats knew better than most, that StarClan was not there to save them. I didn't even receive my nine lives, he thought bitterly. What leader doesn't receive their nine lives? He slowly realized, however, that none of the current leaders of the clans would have had their nine lives. StarClan had been silent for many moons, and most of them were new. His eyes glittered. "Our first priority should be to take down Ripplestar," he meowed to Blackstorm. "Pass that along."

[sil]

Fishbone caught just the first half of his leader’s disgruntled muttering. A sharp prickling of shame rippled through him, making the beige-white fur along his spine stand on end. Scatterstar doesn’t trust me! He knew no greater embarrassment.

His lips pulled back, revealing pairs of incisors. “Do not doubt me, Scatterstar,” he snarled, momentarily forgetting his place, but making sure he was loud enough for his leader to know Fishbone was speaking to him this time. “I’d jump in the Ice River if you demanded it of me, if it aided our Clan!” His amber eyes burned with the truth of the statement.

He opened his mouth to say more, but wisely shut it in a sharp snap of teeth; he did not want to be punished or, StarClan forbid, be sent away. Shoulders trembling in humiliation, he got to his paws and padded back amongst the ranks of his fellow warriors, before he heard any more of what Scatterstar had to say to their deputy. Fishbone had heard enough to realize his leader had lost all faith in StarClan. Well, fine. It doesn’t mean I have to.

With a measure of will, Fishbone forced his bristled fur flat to his body. His mood tempered at the sight of the familiar ginger-and-white she-cat he had shared tongues with. Fishbone moved closer and sat on his haunches nearby Lightningfur, staying silent.

[Toadie]

Poisonthorn's ears slowly went back as he approached, following right behind Freezecloud. He stretched his neck to attempt to see over the tall grass. He looked back at the other NorthClan warriors, but couldn't see them through the foliage. He turned and saw the EastClan cats, some of them seeming worried, but altogether seeming completely unorganized. They were on edge, that was enough.

"They seem scared," he whispered. "But I don't think they're ready to fight." He looked around. His green eyes flashed. He tried to spot the place where it would be easiest for NorthClan to breech the camp. It seemed to be over where their sad excuse for an elder's den was. They barely had any dens at all, they were more like nests in the ground.

[honey]

Bluestripe squinted to see the cats beyond the grass. She hissed a little just from the scent of the enemy. She listened to what Poisonthorn had to say about the situation. It seemed to be true. The EastClan cats seemed more in a disorganized panic than anything. "This is very good," she meowed quietly. "They're too busy anticipating us to really anticipate us."

"I think the best place to breech might be behind the elder's den," she added. "Not many cats are over on that side, and we can take on a few old cats." Her eyes glinted with the anticipation. She had a full warrior's spirit.

[equus]

Freezecloud nodded in agreement, staring at the place where the battle would begin. It was hard to rap her head around. "All right," she meowed quietly. Turning around, she quickly began to run back to where her Clan was gathered to deliver the information. She couldn't escape the bad feeling in her gut that something terrible was going to happen, but she kept running. She tilted her ears, checking that Poisonthorn and Bluestripe were behind her. Her paws hit the ground evenly and silently, and she travelled quickly over the unfamiliar territory. It's not hard to get used to, she considered. It's too bad this is why we must accustom ourselves to it.

She began to faintly detect her Clan over the scent of EastClan, and was relieved when they came into view. SHe slowed down, panting. It wasn't a far distance, but she had been running as fast as possible. She approached Scatterstar at a trot, catching her breath as she went. "Scatterstar," she meowed respectfully, dipping her head to her leader. "We have observed the camp, and it seems the best place to enter is near the elders den; there is little defense there." She looked her leader in the eyes. "The warriors there are evidently nervous. They don't seem ready to fight at all... do you think they don't expect to?"

[Kenya]

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[atrb=width,400,true][atrb=background,http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g171/Sillvy/bg-2.png] L i g h t n i n g f u r She gave a slight nodd to Fishbone as he approached her. Lightningfur admired the strong words he said in his defense to their leader. Not many would dare say such things. She flexed her claws, digging them into the ground and fraying a piece of the long grass that had been trampled by a passing cat. Her dark ginger ears pricked forward as the sound of approaching cats caught her attention. Lightningfur watched Freezecloud come bounding back from the direction of the Eastclan camp. Lightningfur took a few steps forward so that she could see the returned cats. She had brought back news of a way into the camp. "So the battle begins." She meowed looking from one cat to the other. She soon expected Scatterstar to send them into the camp, to take on the unsuspecting warriors. Lightningfur's ringing tail flicked behind her as she waited to hear what her leader would say.

[Bloodpaw]

Eclipsesun padded down when Freezecloud came back. He knew that at any moment they would need to rush into battle. His entire body was tense. He heard that they were going to enter on the side of the elder's den. Wise choice, they won't have much defense there. What was even more interesting was that EastClan didn't seem ready to fight. The probably want to talk it out, like the softhearts they are.

He sneered, his lip pulling back to reveal his sharp white teeth. The dark feline stood with the rest of the warriors. It was going to be a bloody battle, but at least he knew that NorthClan had the advantage now. He waited for Scatterstar's orders with impatience.

[Durango]

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[atrb=background, i52.tinypic.com/5f2eiw.png] Scatterstar He watched, pleased when the three warriors he sent out returned unharmed and uncaptured. It pays to gamble sometimes, he thought. Scatterstar's blue eyes swept over Freezecloud as she returned with just the information he desired. Of course, the elder's den would be the perfect place to breech, he thought. "I think they might expect to speak with me, but I dare not give them the pleasure," he meowed. He turned to his warriors, confident that they would loyally follow him to the ends of the earth despite their sometimes doubtful conversations. "Listen closely. We're going to approach from the side of their elder's den, located on that corner," he growled, pointing with his tail in the direction. "When I give the word, you will all rush in and take down any cat who gets in your way." "You need not worry about sparing any of them. Where would they have to go? If you can bite the throat of an EastClan warrior, do it," he narrowed his eyes as he spoke. "Our number one target is Ripplestar. If you can get your claws on him and end his life, you will greatly be rewarded." He knew that he sounded perhaps ruthless and cruel, but it was a small price to pay for winning this battle. He paused for a moment, and once he knew all his warriors understood, he looked towards the camp. "Attack!" he hissed.

[Firefly]

Blackstorm was one of the first to go charging down towards the EastClan camp. He rushed towards the elder's den, and found that it was in fact a very each place to get through. He looked around, trying to spot the first EastClan cat he could see. He jumped and latched onto one of their warriors, kicking and fighting and tearing at their flesh.

"This is for NorthClan!" he yowled. He was especially pleased that Scatterstar had given them permission to be as vicious as possible, even to the point of killing the EastClan cats. It was a full takeover after all. The only ones they would need alive were the queens and their kits.