Hello Feline Friends

“I’ll see you in my den tonight, Hazelpaw.” Mewled Nightstar with a wave of his tail as he turned around. “Perhaps go spend some time with your mother until then. Your apprentice duties are suspended pending further review of the role of half-blood cats in the clan.”

Graypaw looked down at his forepaws in shame, not responding to Nightstar’s suggestion right away.

Hazelpaw glanced quickly at her brother in worry but didn’t say anything, hunching in on herself. She didn’t want to do this but she didn’t really have much of a choice.

(Nice, have fun! :3 )

Graypaw pinned his ears back when Hazelpaw submitted to the whims of Nightstar. “Hazelpaw, you don’t have to do that!” He Mewed quickly in protest, stepping forwards between his sister and the leader protectively.

Nightstar scoffed, glancing down at Graypaw dismissively. “I didn’t know you to be one to step up, Graypaw. In fact, Foxfury wanted to have you executed. The only reason you’re still here is because I override him as leader. So tell me,” The tom leaned in close, getting right in the apprentice’s face and unsheathing his claws threateningly. “Do you value your life or your ideals more?”

Graypaw’s strong stance quickly faltered, and the poor tom walked back to where he had been sitting, glancing down at his paws in shame. His attempt at being a hero had just got him sent away with his tail between his legs.

Hazelpaw actually looked ill now. Without knowing it, Nightstar had hit upon a way to get her to do practically anything. If there was a choice between her own life or comfort and her family’s lives or comfort, then she would always pick her family’s. She drooped miserably, dropping her gaze to her paws. “Very well.”

(I need to leave in a few minutes. I’ll be back around 7:30 Central, I think. I have a riding lesson :3)

“To lay beside me in my nest when the day is done.” Nightstar reiterated, his ear flicking in mild irritation. “You Act as if I asked you to murder your brother, Hazelpaw.” The Tom’s stern gaze then fixed itself on Graypaw’s frightened one. “Which I suppose I could do...”

Just forcing the pregnant Violetwing to move into his den was always an option as well. “It’s a choice between your wants and your family’s needs, Hazelpaw.” The tom gave the younger she-cat a stern glance. “You know what decision a real clan cat would make, so let’s see how dedicated you really are, girl.”

Hazelpaw bristled with fear and anger, feeling ill at what the tom was saying. “You want me to what?” She demanded incredulously against her better judgment after several long moments of being unable to find her voice, Violetwing’s vicious glare boring into Nightstar’s back.

“Your mother is heavily pregnant, as I’m sure you know. She is my mate, however, and so I feel I have a right to move her to my den with me so she can take her proper place, at my side.” Nightstar looked warily at The she-cat, silencing any protests she might have with an icy glare. “Moving her might make her uncomfortable, which puts us in a predicament.” The tom allowed himself a sickening grin down at the apprentice. “I propose that you sleep beside me instead until she is well enough to do so.”

(Le gasp!

Mmkay thanks)

Hazelpaw stared warily up at the tom, her ears pinned back. She heard Foxfury enter the camp but didn’t turn to look. “What do you mean?”

(Starclan are testing not only Treewhisker, but also Hazelpaw.

Also, Nightclaw’s eyes are blue!)

“I have a proposal for you, Hazelpaw.” Mewed the new leader evenly, his blue eyes glinting. “You need to listen closely.”

Foxfury padded into the clearing then, a little bloodied but still walking proud and high.

Hazelpaw's expression twisted with horror, alarm, and disbelief. StarClan made him a leader? She thought in dismay, her trust in their warrior ancestors practically shattering in that instant. Why would they do that? She just couldn't understand why they would allow a rapist to become the leader of their Clan. I don't care what my dreams say. I will not become a medicine cat, not for StarClan, not under this- this creature. If StarClan is willing to do such things as this, I will not serve them.

(What color are Nightclaw's eyes?)

“Just as beautiful as your mother. It’s a shame you can’t be full blooded.” Mused Nightclaw solemnly, running his paw along her spine once more. After a few heartbeats, He mewed “Oh. In my time being outlawed from entering my own home, I visited Starclan.” The tom glanced between Graypaw and Hazelpaw, who were seemingly the only two who didn’t know the news. “You can call me Nightstar now.”

Hazelpaw flinched away from his touch, unable to help herself. She swallowed, wondering what he meant by "new roles." She doubted it meant anything good for her and Graypaw.

Nightclaw leered at Hazelpaw, looking for any hint of fear in the apprentice’s eyes. “Despite your skill, I am going to have to give you and your brother new roles. We can’t very well muddy the title of apprentice by infusing it with unclean blood, after all.” The tom reached out with his forepaw, stroking it down Hazelpaw’s spine.

Hazelpaw couldn't help but bristle slightly at the insult to her father but she kept her mouth firmly shut, pinning her ears back as she fought the urge to cringe away from the black-furred tom. She couldn't help but be terrified of him after what he'd done to her mother and threatened to do to her.

Nightclaw leapt down from the ledge he was on to land in front of the apprentices in one smooth motion, making Graypaw jump back in surprise.

“You’re just as pathetic as Foxfury told me,” scoffed the tom, turning his head from Graypaw and basically ignoring him, his gaze focused on Hazelpaw’s.

“As for you, I’ve heard plenty of good things. It makes me happy that despite your lineage you’re pretending to be a clan cat.”

Hazelpaw froze in fear as Nightclaw emerged from her father's den, shrinking back and into herself slightly. She was suddenly vividly reminded of all the ways he had stared at her while she was a kit and his threat to her mother. Her mother! The young she-cat's amber-brown eyes widened, wondering if her mother was okay.

(Great minds think alike. )

Yellowfoot was nowhere to be seen in the clearing, in fact, it was only some of the more hostile warriors who were out. Each one leered at the pair of Treewhisker’s spawn as they passed. Something seemed to have changed. And that something turned out to be the cat who emerged from the leader’s den.

The black-furred Tom’s frown changed suddenly into a grin as he set eyes on the apprentices in the middle of the clearing. Those warriors who had opposed Treewhisker’s leadership all this time greeted him like a returning hero, a conqueror who was forced out of his home by corruption, but was now making his triumphant return to claim the clan that was rightfully his.

“Hello, half-breeds.”

Hazelpaw knew her mentor would help and quickly looked around the camp for him, ears pinned back. Besides Yellowfoot, though, she didn’t know.

(What if Treewhisker is driven out of the Clan? :O and Violetwing follows once the kits are born, because she is too close to leave now.)

Graypaw hurried into the camp as well, happy to be back where he was safe. The hard part would be finding a warrior sympathetic with Treewhisker, as many of them were already upset with the tom for his dealings with kittypets and didn’t respect him thanks to his mate getting ready to bear another Tom’s kits. Few were likely to help him in a fight against a respected cat like Foxfury.

Hazelpaw pricked up the pace, occasionally glancing back at her brother to make sure he was still following but generally just trying to reach the camp as fast as she could. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the camp and hurried through the entrance.

Graypaw followed, his head low but his tail lifted high as he followed his sister. The two Tom’s continued to spar behind them, the angry yowls and pained hisses of both Toms audible until they got closer to Camp and out of range.

Hazelpaw decided they needed to go get help and started to herd Graypaw away, wondering with frustration why she hadn’t thought to do that as soon as she realized there was going to be a fight.

Treewhisker managed to get back to his paws just before Foxfury attacked again, and just managed to dodge this one. The deputy with the graying muzzle Snarled with anger and whipped around quickly, catching the other Tom’s face with his claws. Treewhisker stumbled back, trying to blink the blood out of his eye.

Hazelpaw pinned her ears back, eyes wide with fright and worry. She knew Foxfury was much more experienced than her father and that she and Graypaw wouldn’t be able to help.

Treewhisker pinned his ears back at his deputy’s insult. “Foxfury,” Mewed The tom cautiously, “I don’t want to fight you.” All the same, the tom seemed to acknowledge it was inevitable. His claws sliding from their sheaths in his paws.

Foxfury gave his leader a toothy grin. “While I doubt much of the clan would take your word over mine at this point, Treestar, I still can’t risk that they agree with you.” With that, the older tom launched himself at Treewhisker, bowling the younger male over.