[Deathclaw & Shadowstar] An urgent warning.

[Chisato Mikami]

Deathclaw was furious. After his talk with Foxpaw, he wondered what kind of warriors Riverclan had to turn its own apprentices into what Foxpaw was. He needed to speak with Shadowstar. He should have done it when she was a kit. Maybe if he had done so, Foxpaw wouldn’t be in the dark state she was in right now. Plus, her mentor needed to be dealt with. Telling half truths was the same as lying in his book and Shadowstar needed to know what was going on under her nose. He waited until she was asleep, hoping the Forestclan believer would listen and believe the Starclan tom.  

[EvilSilverDragon]

Curled up in her den, Shadowstar shifted one last time before falling asleep. One full belly and a warm den led to an easy time drifting off. That comfort shifted into the celestial realm so seamlessly that "waking" was disjointed. Opening her eyes, she had to blink several times before standing to take in everything.

The celestial realm itself wasn't what threw her. This didn't look or feel like the normal Forestclan area and she wasn't looking for anyone. Looking up to the 'sky', she took a deep breath before pushing forward.

"Hello?" Who wanted her from Starclan, and why? Confident in her strenght, Shadowstar remained calm and curious.  

[Chisato Mikami]

Deathclaw waited until Shadowstar appeared. He walked forward, his ashy body dancing around him. Sometimes he wished he looked more normal. His unusual form scared most cats, but it was this form that caused his to have a reputation with the living cats. He sat in front of the Riverclan leader, what left of his tail curled around his paws. ‘She certainly looks capable,’ he thought, tilting his head to the side. ‘I hope she can correct Foxpaw before it was too late.”

“Hello Shadowstar. I’m Deathclaw and I need to speak to you. It’s about Foxpaw if you’re willing to listen.”  

[EvilSilverDragon]

Were her eyes playing tricks on her? There are a lot of remarkable things in the celestial realm. Walking ash had to be the most remarkable. For several moments, her attention kept moving to the ash floating around.

That momentary, wide-eyed disarmed second passed quickly. The second Deathclaw explained why he was reaching out to her, everything made a hard shift. Seriousness settled on her like a heavy snow blanket. As much metaphorically as physically. Settling into a straight backed sitting as her back end almost seemed forced down by his words.

Foxpaw, that kit they took in at the request of Lighteningclan1, had quite the hurdle to over come. She gave her the best start possible, Flamedapple is absolutely an outstanding mother. Foxfur, the madcat who started it all, had her confidence in being a great father figure. Bumblebreeze and Cardinalwhisper are the definition great siblings to each other. That said, as the Leader of the clan, unless something comes to her attention she didn't have the time to dedicate as she used to. If something was amiss, that was vital.


"Of course, I will listen to anything you have to say." Celestial cats had the ability to enter dreams, as evident in this moment. A young kit might have a lot more to say in such a place.

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event cited:
1 ]https://www.gaiaonline.com/guilds/viewtopic.php?t=25381482&page=6

 

[Chisato Mikami]

Deathclaw closed his eyes for a moment and let out a ragged breath. “I am not aware if you know me or have heard about me. I escort the souls to their afterlife. So, when little Foxkit was on death’s door, I went to see her, offer her a way out of her suffering. She was, for the most part, very hurt emotionally. She didn’t understand why her mother, a fox pelt worn by one of the med cats, wasn’t with her… She didn’t want to come with me before her ‘mother was near.’” He watched Shadowstar as he spoke, looking for any signs that she would interrupt him.

“I recently saw her,” he continued. “It appears that the apprentice has been, for a lack of a better term, brainwashed. Her mentor tells her half-truths, which is fueling Foxpaw’s hatred. If something isn’t done about it, Foxpaw will end up getting herself killed. I know you’re a Forestclan believer and your code differs from Starclan, but as a Starclan follower I felt like I must at least warn you.” His ashy body began to swirl more rapidly, hinting towards his feelings of urgency on the issue. “I’m afraid Foxpaw is plotting something dangerous. She spoke about becoming a warrior and learning how to kill cats. That her mentor is waiting for the right moment. I believe you to be reasonable. You don’t like unnecessary bloodshed, correct?”  

[EvilSilverDragon]

Well, now she had a name for the strange cat. Deathclaw, well there was an intimidating name. This is the first time shes ever heard of one cat with that particular job. So, it wasn't just a celestial cat coming down to take the sleeping cat up. There was a comfort in knowing the cat with that position seemed the opposite of sinister or evil.

What he told her, that put a fear in her that she seldom felt. That was the evil, the sinister. Almost losing Foxkit put a strain on her as a leader and clearly created an anxiety in the medcat apprentices. That the kit made it so long was a testament to Stonebelly's skill as a healer and those apprentices.

Sitting as silently as she could, Shadowstar tried to listen before making judgement. There is one exception, the more Deathclaw spoke the lower her ears went. All at once, her ears pined against her head. Slowly, her fur started to rise and her claws flexed.

How had this happened under her nose? Barkfang was abrasive but she never seemed to mean harm. What she is doing to that poor kit is beyond the pale.

Deciding what to do would take some time. Until then, there was someone to talk to. "When we found her, there was absolutely no way of knowing she had been adopted by a fox of all things1" She smelt like a mix of both clans not like a fox. "Foxkit was barely off milk when we found her2. A fox couldn't nurse a kit. I still don't understand how she has such strong memories of a mother she couldn't have known for more than a half-moon" How can she stand against such a powerful memory of such a short time in her life?

This was part one of that puzzle. "Please, tell me as much as you can. I need to have as much information as possible. I am not sure how to help." Get Barkfang away from the kit is one, but then what? Should she ask someone else to mentor her? Wildstripe would be a great choice, but should she ask him? Was this something she should take on by herself?

Flamedapple needs to know whats going on as well, this was her daughter suffering.

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Events sited
1 https://www.gaiaonline.com/guilds/viewtopic.php?t=25381482&page=1 (first post)
2 https://www.gaiaonline.com/guilds/viewtopic.php?t=25381482&page=8 (post 14)

 

[Chisato Mikami]

Deathclaw sighed. He went back to their last visit. It hadn’t ended well. He didn’t want to sound like he was lecturing the poor apprentice, but that’s what he had done. He might have even put an idea in her head that wasn’t his intention. “He believes Riverclan stole her family from her. That the clan is taking advantage of her. She doesn’t believe that you, or the rest of your clan had the right to kill the fox, since it could speak cat. She believes the clan, aside from her mentor who is the only one she trusts, are hypocrites. She even threw in scenario where she herself would kill a mother cat and take it’s kit…” He shook his head. “I do not think she knew what she was talking about. She wants to leave but can’t until she becomes a warrior. She said that Barkfang told her to be patient. To be ‘cautious and act the part.’ She then stated that if Lightningclan was able to take her, that her mother might still be alive. I highly doubt it though… I told her if she would hunt, then she could just leave, but she said that she hasn’t learned how to kill a cat and that Barkfang was waiting to teach her how to do this.” Deathclaw looked back up to Shadowstar. He wouldn’t be able to keep his promise. “I promised I wouldn’t say this… She wants to go and find her fox kin… Live with them. It’s an absurd idea. A cat living with Foxes? Even if she did find them, she could get killed herself or they would take advantage of her and she could lead them right to your camp!” He was just assuming these things, but the end result wasn’t good. “I did try to reason with her… but she didn’t listen to me. She thinks everyone is against her, and I said the wrong thing to her. I told her that if she thinks she can kill a whole clan, she worse off then I thought… I might have put something in her head. I do apologize for this… She is planning something though. Why else would she be so adamant to learn how to kill a cat?”  

[EvilSilverDragon]

Shadowstar stayed still, trying hard not to inject her arguments. Stilling the mind and listening with an open heart. Each word hurt like a claw to that very heart. At one point she jolted to her paws. Kill a queen and take its kit?!

Every bit of self control had to be called in to force her butt back down.

Finally, when the nightmare paused. It was just enough to pull her breath in. "The foxes would end her. I am positive,beyond any doubt that fox would have eaten her right then and there." Sighing, the shecat pawed at the ground. "Other then removing her form Barkfang, I don't know how to help her." A Leader should have all the answers, at least she felt it should. Letting out a sigh.

"Thank you for telling me. If you find her real mother in the Starclan, maybe she can talk to her?" It was hard to believe a Queen would allow her kit to be taken without dying in the process. No, Foxkit lost her family before she was found.

Chisato Mikami

 

[Chisato Mikami]

“I will try to convince her mother to try,” Deathclaw stated, bowing his head a little. “but Foxpaw is not ready to meet her and she won’t go to her until she is ready. Maybe if she was surrounded by her blood family, she would calm down, but even they are tormented themselves. I will keep an eye on her. Afterall, she is a direct descendant of mine.” The last bit was a promise to Shadowstar. Even if he wasn’t forestclan, he would still look after all the cats in the forest. “Thank you. It takes a strong and wise leader to hear out the concerns of someone that comes from a different faith. I will no longer disturb your rest.”  

[EvilSilverDragon]

Shadowstar nodded again and laid down. Slowly the dream faded and she woke up with a start. The dream wirled in her head along with all the concerns. Taknig deep breaths, the Leader considered she needed to talk to someone. Foxpaw was Flamedapple's daughter after all.

Standing, she walked into the misty morning, a Leader's job never done.