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