Compass Lines

[noctemq]

Blackmoon kept his footsteps light as he walked across the border Rootclan shared with Mothclan. Ever since he took one of Eveningstar's lives, the deputy had been on edge. Rightfully so, as tensions only seemed to increase. At the last Gathering, an ominous warning was brought forth by the medicine cats. Something about uniting, he recalled, only remembering the gist of the message and not the exact words Well, with the current situation, everyone seemed to be doing the opposite, or at just watching out for themselves. Leaf-Bare was rapidly approached, and the tom couldn't help but worry. He wasn't one to be superstitious, but he knew a prophesy when he heard one. His deep brown eyes carefully surveyed the area around him before he marked a tree with Rootclan's scent. "This isn't over..." Eveningtar's words rung in his head. No, it wasn't. Something was going on, and Blackmoon hated being out of the loop. There was no word from Mothclan or any of the other clans so far, so he could only assume it was the calm before the storm. Too many things were happening at once, and he desperately wanted to hit pause and take a deep breath. On top of all of this, Screechstar's health was declining. He felt like he was carrying Rootclan on his shoulders alone. Never before had he felt so isolated and... scared. 

He sniffed a nearby patch of turf to make sure there was no lingering Mothclan scent; it seemed like they had backed off for now. One could never be too careful, though. Blackmoon marked it and kept moving down the borderline to make sure he was hitting every spot he needed to. Suddenly, he caught a whiff of Mothclan in the air. The Leaf-Fall wind was gently blowing towards him, and he could tell that someone was approaching from across the other side of the divide. The hairs along his spine immediately shot up and his tail puffed out. He readied himself for combat despite not being eager for anymore bloodshed and stood his ground. This border meant more than a patch of hunting land, it also meant respect for Rootclan. 

LupTacco

[LupTacco]

"Ambershine, doll, wait on up," Cactusblaze huffed as the short-legged warrior rushed ahead with surprising speed, able to dodge under or smoothly climb over obstacles he was forced to go around or jump. If she heard him, she gave no sign; her ears remained pointed outwards and to her front, wide eyes scanning the undergrowth with almost mechanical alertness. Patchfrost had left them a little while back, departing for IvyClan's border; the two warriors had spent the rest of their time pacing the border, avoiding Eveningstar's patrols and hoping, praying to encounter RootClan. As Ambershine slowed to a crawl until she eventually stopped beside a thin, gangly pine sapling, Cactuzblaze sighed in relief, panting lightly as he sauntered to a halt next to her. "Fin'ly. Yer real spry fer a lit'l varmint," he murmured, tapping her tail with his own. Her ear twitched, but otherwise she remained still. As the moment dragged into a minute, Cactusblaze felt the uncontrollable need to break the silence, "Er, Amb-"

"Shush!"

Frowning indignantly, the young warrior opened his jaws to bark out a retort but snapped them back shut as he smelled and then spotted the RootClan warrior- no, their deputy, Blackmoon. This was it, then. As they rounded the pine tree, it was clear they'd been discovered- but thankfully, the tom seemed to be alone. "Wait!" Ambershine called forward, holding her head low and her tail nearly to the ground, "Please, listen. We... we have news. Bad, bad news." Her voice trailed off quietly, and she backed up a step, glancing at Cactusblaze with a silent plea. With a sigh, the tom strode forward, looking Blackmoon in the eye.

"Ever since that lit'l battle o' ours our two clans had, leader's been actin real quirklike. Eveningstar's hardly like himself, and we're all kindsa worried for ourselves. That don't shine a spark compared t' the real blaze he's got goin' 'gainst you lot, though," the tom drawled out, "Puttin' it real plain-like, he's fixin' to eradicate yer clan like it weren't ever 'round. Ambers n' I had a problem with that, so we were fixin' to warn ya. An' I just did." Kneading the ground nervously, he sniffed the air, double checking that they were alone. A nudge at his side reminded him of one last thing- "Oh, an' if you could be so kindly, we'd appreciate a temporary shelter in your home."

[noctemq]

Blackmoon’s expression changed from one of caution into disbelief. He couldn’t think of any reason these two would lie to him... was Eveningstar really doing all of these things? Rootclan wasn’t big enough to take on a Mothclan in a battle, and they were just finally recovering from all of the struggles they’ve been facing for the last handful of moons. His shoulders relaxed and his fur settled back down as Cactusblaze kept talking. The tom was so used to stress at this point where he wasn’t visibly phased; his mind skipped over the initial panic and went straight to formulating a plan. He’d have to talk to Screechstar and make a few announcements to secure the safety of his clan.

”.... Thank you for telling me this,” His voice started soft and picked up to a normal volume. He beckoned the two Mothclan cats to walk with him, away from the minefield of a border. The possibility of a patrol hearing them was dangerous and there was no point in staying, especially since they could continue their conversation in the camp. ”As long as you can take care of yourselves, you can stay. It’s the least I can do to thank you for the warning.” Blackmoon’s brow furrowed in thought, clearly unhappy. He believed he had time to rest, maybe a moon of calm before he’d have to address the borderlines with Mothclan. Measures would have to be taken immediately if they were to survive a fight.

He started to walk back towards the Rootclan camp, slow enough where they’d both be able to follow through the unfamiliar territory without tripping over anything. ”Do you know anything else?” He inquired. Any information, no matter how small it was, could be helpful.