Special Visit

[Yoko]

Emerald eyes gleamed as the ShadowClan Leader examined her camp. Her slender speckled figure blending in perfectly with the after sunhigh light. Despite the chaos of the past few days, every cat seemed busy and determined to make the best of their situation. Though she knew she should be at camp, awaiting the arrival of the missing kit patrol, Specklestar could not help the restless tug at her paws. She needed to be out of camp, or at least out of the commotion. When was the last time she had some down time? But at the same time...she did not want to be alone in her den. Alone she would think of more serous matters. Who could the camp spare for a few moments, she wondered. Her eyes fell on the elder's den. She wondered...

She padded over to the entrance and poked her head inside. She had not visited the elder's in quite a while.

"May I come in?"

[Kitty]

A ginger head poked up from a bundle of ginger fur. Gray eyes blinked in the light coming from the entrance of the elders den. Or at least, what light got through around the shape of a cat blocking the way, which the elderly tom didn't much mind. It meant less bright light to hurt his newly-awakened eyes. He blinked a few times, then his eyes adjusted enough for him to realize the identity of the cat that had awakened him.

"Ah, Specklestar," Gorsestorm greeted. "You know you're always welcome here." Slowly, the old tom uncurled from his ball and stretched. Mouse dung, my joints ache he thought. No. Not going to the medicine den today. Feathercloud's already busy. No need to bother her. No loss to the Clan if one of their elders join StarClan, anyway. The queens, kits, apprentices, and warriors need fresh-kill first.

"What can we do for you, hm?" he asked, sitting up and shaking out his pelt, a few pieces of moss dropping to the ground. His fur was ruffled and messy and looked like it could use a wash. Oh well, he'd get to it later. More important was Specklestar's visit.

[Yoko]

Specklestar paused for a moment, embarassed. She had not addressed the elders in a while. Not since she was leader. Before, she had always respected them as warriors who had served in their own time and were gaining a well-deserved rest. She had considered them a rank above even Senior Warriors, but she was pretty sure now that she outranked the older cats now. It felt a bit awkward for a moment.

"I'm sorry," she mewed. "I didn't mean to disturb you. I just wanted to chat with someone who wasn't having a crisis."

She laughed softly at her own joke. Then she quickly retracted the statment, "Oh-not that I mean your troubles aren't important. Do you have any? Do you need new moss or fresh-kill?"

Argh, here she goes again! What could she say, she lives to serve her loyal Clan.

[Kitty]

Gorsestorm stifled a meow of laughter. "We elders always have crisises, Specklestar. Surely you know that." He chuckled under his breath in a rare show of humor. "And if we don't, all you've got to do is ask and we can find something to complain about." He winked at his leader. "Are the apprentices slacking off again?" he teased.

NO need to tell Specklestar about his aching joints. She'd just insist her go to the medicine den...and he couldn't do that, not when feathercloud was so busy. He would manage without it, considering he'd only gone in yesterday with an aching joint complaint.

"As for your question, I could use a bit more moss, but other than that, I'm good. I wouldn't wake him, though-" the ginger tabby tom's tail gestured towards Tallhawk "-because he tends to get a bit grumpy when awakened. Sometimes. Probably wouldn't for our wonderful leader, though, Specklestar."

[Yoko]

Specklestar smiled at wondering what an elder's crisis might be. "Oh, but of course you do, Grouseclaw"

She made note to send one of the apprentices to fetch moss for them. She remembered her clanmates complaining about that chore so much when she was an apprentice. "I'm sure we have an apprentice or two to spare, despite the doubled battle training."

She winced. SHe had not meant to bring up the topic of possible war. Overall, the Clan seemed pleased with the idea, but surely the elder's had seen more battles than herself. And surely they knew what hardships it would place on the Clan.

[Kitty]

"Ah, yes, I heard about that," Gorsestorm meowed, cocking his head. "I didn't go to the meeting, though. First thing some cats do is come here and tell us, though, so we heard about it pretty quick." He blinked thoughtfully, and turned his gray-green eyes on his leader. "What drove you to make the decision to go to battle with ThunderClan? They're a smallClan; it wouldn't take much to wipe them out." He'd talked to the elders at the last Gathering and had learned of something even worse for the forest's tiniest Clan - either they were lacking she-cats or they hadn't brought any to the Gathering, which would be odd. He'd only seen a couple, and one of them was teh new leader, Ashstar.

"Our territories were given to us by StarClan, and they have said that they are enough to support our Clans. Don't forget that in our gaining territory, something has to happen to ThunderClan. What will we do when we have their territory and they have nowhere to go exvept Twolegplace? I don't think they could leave. No, Specklestar, there have always been four Clans in the forest, don't forget that."

((Would chatting with an elder make SPecklestar change her mind about going to battle? XD))

[Yoko]

ooc: We'll see how it goes. XD

Specklestar nodded. Cats loved to talk, even when they were all hearing the same news. WHat they really loved to do was to tell cats who had not heard the news about the news. It was no suprise that word travelled quickly to the elders, though she tried to imagine why7 they wouldn't come to a Clan Meeting anyway.

Specklestar was not affronted by the elder's words. He wasn't treating her like an outsider, just reminding her what every Clan cat should know. There had always been four clans. "I know that Gorsestorm, and I have no intention on driving ThunderClan out if it's not necessary. StarClan may have divded the lands back then, but I'm sure they did not expect such an uneven number amongst the cats. Our territory alone, is not enough to survive. The nursery has to be expanded for the new litter born yesterday and if the number of warriors grow much larger, they'll need two dens. I can't say how much we'll need but even an extra third of forest would help. Surely the dwindling ThunderClan doesn't need that much territory, but I doubt they'll give it up for pride alone."

[Kitty]

"Yes, Specklestar, I don't think ThunderClan needs all their territory now." Gorsestorm agreed. "But did you consider what might happen should THunderClan become bigger? Not only will they need their territory back, but they become a threat to us, both in driving us back into our own territory and very possibly becoming much more hostile towards us for taking their territory in the first place. If you want my opinion, this attack is an all-around bad idea. Their leader died less than a moon ago; they're barely up and running again."

Gorsestorm wasn't trying to convince Specklestar - of course not! - but he didn't see a point to the battle. Okay, yes, there was one. ShadowClan was simply too big. If they kept multiplying as fast as they were now, then in a few moons they'd have twice the amount of any Clan in the forest. That wasn't a good thing.

Normally, Gorsestorm would totally and completely agree with a battle for more territory. But against ThunderClan? He'd witnessed first-paw how small they were. Either they were small or they just didn't bring many cats to the Gathering, and barely any she-cats. It didn't seem fair to drive an already weak Clan from their territory, even if ShadowClan was only taking part of it.

[Yoko]

Specklestar felt a slight sting in her chest. She had not been so naive as to expect every cat to want to go to war, but none would have dared to say so to her face. She pushed back the defensive retort about to escape from her lips. He was an elder. He knew the forest better than she, who had not even been born here.

She kept her calm gaze, but she sat up straighter. "I respect your opinion, Gorsestorm, but I cannot agree. Though I feel some sympathy for ThunderClan's plight, I don't feel enough to not take advantage of this oppurtunity. I doubt that they'll have a sudden comeback in kits, they hardly bring she-cats to the Gathering anymore, and no new apprentices were announced in the past two Gatherings."

She paused. "Although, I do see what you mean. Attack breeds revenge. I suppose the only thing to do is build a solid defence around the claimed territory and attempt to be civil with the ThunderClan cats. They won't be 'striking back' for a while, and by then we might already mend the thin bond we currently share with them."

Her eyes glimmered with cunning. She was not foolish enough to believe kind words would douse their hatred. But there were other ways to build 'friendships'.

[Kitty]

Gorsestorm gave a nod of respect. Specklestar was his leader; he had to respect her even if he'd already been a seasoned warrior when she rose to that rank. Even if he did not completely agree with her decision, he had to respect it. He wasn't going to go on an all-out rant about how she was making a mistake, but he did feel the need to warn her one last time.

"I respect your decision, Specklestar, really I do. But I feel I need to give you one last warning - pardon my rudeness." For any other cat he wouldn't have tacked that onto the end, but he did for his leader. "Think about what you're about to lead your Clan in to. You're young - compared to me, at least - and any elder such as myself would warn you against this. I do not wish for my Clan to go down in memory as the one that forced another out of its territory."

[Yoko]

Specklestar repressed a sigh, determined to sit up as straight and look as firm in her decision as possible. She was not going to change her mind. As she had already stated, she was not intending to drive the ThunderClan cats off their land. And as much as she hated to even consider a stain on their honor, survival did come first. She did not want the kits in the nursery to suffer because of their parents' foolish pride.

At that moment, Specklestar caught a glimpse of Dustpaw, her apprentice. The timing could be no more perfect, for she could not see any continuation of this discussion ending pleasantly. She nodded again Gorsestorm.

"I mean you no disrespect, as you are moons my elder," Specklestar replied cooly. "But I am fairly certain of my decision, and nothing except a change in our overcrowded situation will change it. I will not sit and watch my Clan starve in generations to come."

She glanced again outside at her brow-furred apprentice.

"I would love to stay and chat about something more pleasant, but unfortunately I have neglected Dustpaw today and she is in need of some chores to do before the days end. Good night, Gorsestorm."

She rose smoothly, and glided out of the den, pelt rippling in the sunset light.

[Kitty]

Gorsestorm sighed and rolled his eyes. She-cats. So stubborn. No wonder he hadn't taken a mate after his first love died. She-cats were just so...she-cattish. "Farewell, Specklestar," he called out after his leader, voice colder than it was when the spotted she-cat had entered the den. "Please consider all that I've told you. You may be surprised at how many cats think the way I do." With that, he promptly returned to his grooming, waiting for the apprentice that Specklestar had promised to come help out in doing the chores in there.