Open Territory don't forget, don't forgive [open]

[GHOSTSTRIKE]

WE SLEEP SAFELY AT NIGHT BECAUSE ROUGH MEN STAND READY TO VISIT VIOLENCE ON THOSE WHO WOULD HARM US

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Decisions.

Ghost had always had a love-hate relationship with them. On one hand, he hated relinquishing control to others in the Hind Mark– didn't trust their judgement enough to let them make the tough calls.. A Coalition cat would sooner leave you for dead to save its own skin than risk a whisker trying to get the whole group out, and he'd learned not to trust anyones intuition but his own. But that had its drawbacks as well. Being the one to call the shots meant the blood of every cat they lost was on his paws. Most of it didn't bother him since the majority of that red belonged to monsters like him, but some of those cats had been too young to even know what they were facing, and others too soft to adapt to it.

Now, he found himself in the predicament of having to choose once more.

If a cat outright asked him if he was staying with Thunderclan, he'd tell them 'no', because he was still convinced he wasn't. And yet, he had no departure date in mind, no plan on where he would go, no inkling of what he would do. Because at the end of the day, Coalition cats didn't think for themselves beyond getting the job done. They didn't think about their future or the outside world, they didn't make plans to leave.

He would deal with his mental hurdles later, though. For now, Ghost was here, and as long as he was staying in Thunderclans camp he wanted to know exactly what he was dealing with. The majority of the territory hadn't been properly explored yet, and with how loosely Juniperstar ran things around here, the dark furred tabby wanted to see for himself just what the look of things were.

North was where Sables bunch had run toward the night of the ambush. It was also the direction Hawthorne and Juniper had been heading when they'd been attacked. Ghost would bet his remaining ear the snakes were still out that way somewhere, and so when he'd left camp that morning his paws had led him up in that direction.

He didn't find Sable or any of his followers, just the Thunderpath and a large pile of rocks that offered a decent vantage point for the tomcat to perch upon. He couldnt' smell anything beyond the fumes of the passing monsters and the roadkill down the way, but dark, narrowed eyes glared at the marshland beyond, masked face wearing a an otherwise unreadable expression.

OOC- Ghost is out by Snakerocks doing a 'solo patrol' by the thunderpath :)

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future thunderclanner - male - a large, grey tabby with dark amber eyes and several scars​

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[Marbleshine]

MARBLE OF SHADOWCLAN

The air around her was thick with the stench of the Thunderpath, a smell so sharp and acrid it made her stomach churn. Every time she came close to it, she couldn't help but wonder how any cat could bear it. But despite the overwhelming odor, here she was, on the other side, collecting cobwebs and other herbs, just as she'd been taught. She didn't think much of it at first. After all, it wasn't harming anyone. She was just gathering supplies. She knew her place in the world, and this? This was harmless.

Yet, something about today felt different.

The air shifted, and the faint scent of another cat reached her nose. Her fur prickled, and instinct told her to freeze. She recognized the scent... one she hadn't expected to smell here. It was the injured cat who had been brought into their colony before everything fell apart. She didn't know much about him, but she remembered his arrival. Wounds so bad it had left him struggling. He was part of Hawthorne's-- Or was it Juniper now that Hawthorne was gone? She never expected to run into him out here, not so close to where Sable's group was stationed.

Her heart raced, her breath catching in her throat as panic began to crawl its way through her. She wasn't sure whether she wanted to approach or hide. The voice in her head urged her to hide. To stay out of sight.

Ears flattened against her head, she crouched low and moved as silently as she could, slipping into the cover of a nearby bush. She stayed still, barely breathing, her eyes wide, praying that she wouldn't be noticed.

' Please, don't see me. Please don't come any closer... '

Her mind whirled with the possibilities. What would happen if he found her here? Would he remember her from that time? Would he alert someone? She wasn't ready for a confrontation, not like this. Not when she was just trying to survive, just trying to gather what they needed.

' Please, just keep walking...' she silently begged.

GO ON AND TRY TO TEAR ME DOWN ——･ﾟ✦​

･ﾟ✦ —— I WILL BE RISING FROM THE GROUND

ooc: marble is currently on the thunderclan side of the border, but what border? She knows so little, she's just a gentle lil soul

 

[GHOSTSTRIKE]

WE SLEEP SAFELY AT NIGHT BECAUSE ROUGH MEN STAND READY TO VISIT VIOLENCE ON THOSE WHO WOULD HARM US

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Things were quiet on the other side of the Thunderpath, and eventually, Ghost relented in his silent glaring and made his way down off the rockpile. His nose twitched at the scent of mice in the area, but it was more out of impulse than anything else– he wasn't interested in hunting right now, his focus remaining solid even in the face of temptation. He could eat later, when he was sure none of those traitors were around to take advantage of Thunderclans lack of security. Not like his nerves would stomach food right now anyway when he knew there were other things that needed to be done.

With an exhale of something akin to disappointment, the shadowy tomcat continued on alongside the Thunderpath. He was tempted to cross it, honestly. Sables group could be miles and miles away by now, or they could be hunkering down right on the other side of the road waiting for their chance to strike again. It would be easy for the tomcat to go and see for himself, if he wanted to. He might be big, but being quiet and clever had kept him alive against the dogs for this long, and he was confident in his ability to get in and out in one piece. More confident than if he asked Juniper to lend him a group.

As he was contemplating, the wind changed.

Ghost paused as the scent of another cat came to him, one that wasn't wearing the familiar fragrance of the forest he'd been living in the last few weeks. The muscles in his shoulders tensed as he parted his jaws to better taste the air, tail lashing when it was met by the smell of mud and damp earth and pine.

The tom stalked forward, a prowling hunter who'd caught the scent of his quarry at last. As he honed in on the shrub the stink was coming from, the answer came easy enough to him. There was someone here who wasn't meant to be, someone with potentially useful information to Thunderclan. Getting his teeth in them and hauling them back to Juniper for proper questioning was as obvious as the night sky being dark.

"If you don't come out, I'm coming in after you." he warned, the only one they'd get. If they were hiding then it was obvious they had already spotted Ghost, and the fact that they'd chosen not to engage meant they doubted their skills against his own. Only made him all the more confident in his ability to follow through with his threat.

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future thunderclanner - male - a large, grey tabby with dark amber eyes and several scars​

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[Marbleshine]

MARBLE OF SHADOWCLAN

Her ears pinned back slowly as the tom turned his head in her direction, a knowing look etched across his face. No matter how she twisted or turned it, there was no escaping the truth... He had scented her. She couldn't outrun that. Her lithe frame might allow her to flee, but could she risk it? The image of the blood-streaked ground, the lifeless bodies of cats she once knew, flashed before her eyes. Friends who had turned foes, home soil defiled with violence... The thought sent a shiver down her spine.

No, she daren't run. She didn't want to die.

Her heart pounded in her chest, thundering so loudly she was certain he could hear it too. Swallowing hard, she tried to make herself smaller, curling into the shadow of the bush. But the imposing figure moved closer, his expression dark and unyielding. Danger radiated from him, and it was clear he wasn't pleased with what he'd found.

She meant no harm... Truly, she didn't.

Her breath quickened as his voice cut through the stillness, commanding her to step out of her hiding spot. He left no room for negotiation, she knew that if she didn't comply, she'd be dragged out, no doubt about it. Her mind raced, grasping at the lessons Wolf had once imparted. He wouldn't cower, she thought. He'd face this head-on, unflinching.

Clenching her jaw, she squeezed her eyes shut for a fleeting moment, steadying her trembling paws. Then, with a deep breath, she rose from her hiding place. Her movements were hesitant, her legs unsteady, but she stepped forward into the open.

" I apologize for hiding... " she began, her voice trembling yet laced with an attempt at composure. Her wide eyes flicked to the tom, her posture tense as she tried to look braver than she felt. " I... I wasn't sure what scrutiny I would face. " She paused, swallowing down the lump in her throat before continuing on. " I meant no harm. I was only searching for cobwebs and other herbs... "

She held his gaze for a heartbeat, silently praying her words would be enough to stave off the storm she sensed brewing.

GO ON AND TRY TO TEAR ME DOWN ——･ﾟ✦​

･ﾟ✦ —— I WILL BE RISING FROM THE GROUND

 

[GHOSTSTRIKE]

WE SLEEP SAFELY AT NIGHT BECAUSE ROUGH MEN STAND READY TO VISIT VIOLENCE ON THOSE WHO WOULD HARM US

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The shecat that emerged from the brush was far from the one he'd met in battle a few weeks prior, and yet the scent of the colony still clung to her, along with the smells of the marsh beyond the thunderpath. So, that was where they were hiding out. Not as far as Ghost would have liked.

He wasn't blind to the tremble in her voice or the way her body was stiff as a board where she stood before him, trying to remain composed, but nothing about him softened in the presence of it.

"Helpin' yourself to our supplies?" he rumbled, tail giving a small, controlled flick to signal his annoyance. But he hadn't moved against her yet, a reward, perhaps, for her honesty. "You gave up your rights to this side of the thunderpath when you chose to leave with Sable and his traitors."

Not a lie. Not if he enforced his words. Until he was told otherwise by someone with actual authority, he had no intention of letting any of the dissenters anywhere near the territory, prey, and other vital resources Thunderfla- clan needed to survive.

"Your group can't be far if you're able to come back here." he acknowledged dark eyes boring holes into her, looking for weak spots and loose threads. "Might have even sent you as a scout to see where we went."

It would make sense. If Sable had returned to the old camp to finish what he'd started only to find it empty, but Ghost already knew it was unlikely the shecat had been sent. He was more just looking to rattle her, make her think she was in bigger shit than she was.

"Think I'll give you to Juniperstar– I'm sure she'll have questions for one of Sables traitors." This, however, he was serious about. Everything else aside, this shecat had answers to questions that could be useful to Thunderclan, and he didn't intend to let her escape him easily.

He wouldn't bring her to camp though. No way in hell he'd give the enemy that kind of advantage. No, he'd keep her right here until one of the hunting groups came along, and then send one of them to fetch the groups leader.
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future thunderclanner - male - a large, grey tabby with dark amber eyes and several scars​

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[Marbleshine]

MARBLE OF SHADOWCLAN

The fear in her voice was evident, trembling as she tried to maintain her composure. Her tail, tangled with cobwebs, twitched anxiously behind her as she shifted from paw to paw. She couldn't understand the hostility radiating from the tom in front of her, his gaze hard and unyielding. The words he spat... traitor... It cut deeper than she expected, making her ears pin back further as confusion and disbelief washed over her.

The idea of claims on the land, on this place she'd visited so often for supplies, was baffling. Her voice wavered, each word fighting to hold steady against the building storm of emotions. " I... I always come here... to find some stuff that could help the colony. " She faltered, her own words betraying her. No, it wasn't the colony anymore, was it? It was ShadowClan now. Everything had changed, and with it, the safety and familiarity of her past seemed to crumble to pieces right before her very eyes...

His accusations made her heart race, and when he called her a traitor again, she shrank back instinctively, uncertain how to react to the word being spat at her. " I... I'm not scouting. " she stammered, desperation creeping into her tone as she searched his expression for any hint of understanding. But his stony face gave nothing away. " I'm just gathering supplies for wounded cats. That's all. Just... Just like you all will be doing, r-right? "

When the tom mentioned Juniper who was now Juniperstar, her ears perked slightly despite the weight of the conversation. " Is... Is Juni okay? " she asked softly, the nickname slipping out before she could stop herself. The thought of Juniper becoming a leader filled her with mixed emotions, but now wasn't the time to unpack them. Her resolve to remain strong, like Wolfpack would be had slowly faltered and dissipated before her.

The gravity of the situation made her curl in on herself further. Her gaze darted downward, unable to meet his any longer. She felt small, insignificant, as though the weight of his judgment could crush her completely. Still, she forced herself to speak, her voice barely above a whisper. " I didn't... I didn't do anything wrong. I'm sorry you think I did... but I have no quarrel with you or anyone you're living with. I just... " She trailed off, her body trembling as she fought back tears. " I'm just trying to help. "

It wasn't just fear that filled her, but a deep sense of loss, loss of connection, trust, and a world she once knew. Everything had changed, and she didn't know how to find her footing in this new, fractured reality.

GO ON AND TRY TO TEAR ME DOWN ——･ﾟ✦​

･ﾟ✦ —— I WILL BE RISING FROM THE GROUND

 

[GHOSTSTRIKE]

WE SLEEP SAFELY AT NIGHT BECAUSE ROUGH MEN STAND READY TO VISIT VIOLENCE ON THOSE WHO WOULD HARM US

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Things were seldom ever black or white, and this was a good example of the gray. This shecat hardly had the air of ambitious arrogance that Sable and his cat's had been known for, and yet she'd still chosen to flee with them. To care for them.

Her admissn of coming here often to find supplies only furthered his belief that security needed to be upped, and he'd be speaking to Juniperstar personally about this after he was done dealing with the current problem.

He purposefully ignored her question about Thunderclans need to find supplies as well, refusing to give her any inkling of weakness to bring back to her group. Her apparent concern over Juniper seemed genuine, but she was only met by more silence as Ghost hoarded the answers to himself.

It didn't make him feel particularly good, to reduce a girl to tears or to make her curl into herself out of shame and fear, but war was ugly. It seldom had room for niceties like compassion, and while she likely didn't think so, Ghost knew he could have met her with a lot worse– with claws and teeth and bloodshed that would have assured she never left this place again.

But not even he was that heartless.

"But you're helping the wrong cats." Ghost stated, not sparing her the bluntness of his words the way he'd spared her the sharpness of his claws. "Your group tried to kill mine. Made a strategic decision to do so. And you want to support that?" Ghost asked, tone level but demanding.

"You say you've done nothing wrong, yet you'd take supplies back to make them strong again. When they come back to finish the job, do you honestly think that blood won't be on your paws, too?" he asked, voicing his skepticism clearly.

Too naive, this one. How did she end up with Sable, of all cats? Oh well. Time to get to the meat of things.

"Your camp. Where is it."

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future thunderclanner - male - a large, grey tabby with dark amber eyes and several scars​

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[Marbleshine]

MARBLE OF SHADOWCLAN

The wrong cats...? Confusion flickered across her face as she stared at Ghost, her tail curling around her paws as though seeking comfort. She shook her head once, softly, almost as if denying the weight of his words.

" ... I... I'm just helping c-cats... " she meowed hesitantly, her voice trembling as though the words themselves were dangerous to utter. Her gaze faltered, looking anywhere but at him. The accusations swirled in her mind like a storm. Tried to kill... Is that what happened that painful night? Had Sablestar's group, her group... Truly stooped so low? No. No, they couldn't have. She refused to believe it.

" I don't know what happened... " she finally confessed, the truth spilling from her lips in a whisper. Her heart thundered in her chest as though begging her to stop speaking, but she pressed on. " All I know is that there are cats hurting, in pain, and I want to ease that pain. Not... Not everything is black and white... There's a grey area... " Her voice faltered, but she forced herself to continue. " W...Whatever happened, I'm sure everyone had their reasons. A-and... And nobody wanted it to end up the way it did. "

Her ears pinned back, trembling as if to block out her own words.

Blood on her paws.

The thought clawed at her, sharp and unrelenting. No. She couldn't... She wouldn't. Her purpose wasn't to harm... But it was to heal. To spread kindness and understanding, to bring balance where there was chaos. Her mind raced back to the camp they'd found, the place Sablestar had declared their new home. Sablestar liked the spot. Surely, they'd stay. Surely, they wouldn't-

" Your camp. Where is it? "

The question hit her like a blow, and her wide eyes snapped back to Ghost. Her muzzle opened, instinct urging her to respond, but she stopped herself just as quickly.

If she told him, cats would get hurt. She couldn't bear the thought of that. She wouldn't let it happen.

" I won't tell. " she murmured, her voice steadying slightly as she met his gaze, her own filled with quiet resolve. " Just like you won't tell me where yours is. "

GO ON AND TRY TO TEAR ME DOWN ——･ﾟ✦​

･ﾟ✦ —— I WILL BE RISING FROM THE GROUND

 

[hazelheart]

(🜲) shouldering through the undergrowth, the hefty woman finds herself trapped with her thoughts. a small squirrel swings in her jaws, filling her maw with blood-scent, and her ears swivel this way and that, catching snatches of bird song, of twigs and branches clinking together. it's peaceful today out in the forest, a good day for solo hunting. she's glad she'd slipped out of camp before the chaos of patrols got underway. as the squirrel swings from her mouth, the earthen tabby finds herself treading towards that dangerous section of territory ; the unknown section. a place she has not stepped paw in for fear of memories surfacing that she would rather confront in private, with loved ones. voices reach her dark ears as she swings them towards the area, and hazelheart will follow, concern plain on her features as she trots down the path.

emerging to the scent of acrid twoleg stone, hazelheart drops her squirrel, eyes widening. ghoststrike stands, fur bristling, face to face with a cat haz never thought she'd see again. "marble," the woman growls, striding forward until she is paw to paw with her clanmate. the pale molly is not one she had been close with, but she had been a colonymate all the same. a traitor now, part of the cowards who dared kill bracken, kill hawthorne, and take no consequence for it. hazelheart lifts her lip, exposing pearly teeth in a snarl. "what is she doing here, ghost?" head angling to find the black and white tom's gaze, hazel feels her muscles harden. gaze tracking back to the traitor, the brown tabby pins her ears back. the girl is young - younger than hazel's own children, naieve in every word she speaks. something motherly in the woman almost rises to feel sorry for the cerulean eyed molly, but she bites it down, saves it for her own clanmates. "searching for a fight, young one? you've found one if you don't scram soon."

I NEED MY GOLDEN CROWN OF SORROW 🜲 MY BLOODY SWORD TO SWING

• // " #b8a300"
• 
• HAZEL 🜲 SHE / HER, WARRIOR OF THUNDERCLAN. 54 MOONS OLD, PENNED BY LAVS
  
  
  a stocky, medium-haired brown tabby with hazel eyes. this is a large cat with a rippling musculature. hazel's frame is wide and tall, shoulders broad, muzzle and eyes heavy in her skull. chestnut and chocolate fur swirl across her pelt, sliced through with tabby stripes of shadow. her eyes invoke images of a sweet summer's day, honey and brown mingling into a soft amber gold

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