On a Full Moon

[Silver]

Sootclaw sat for a moment, shocked. As the battle pounded on below him, he came to his senses. He launched himself at he tom, knowing he almost had his teeth at her throat. He barreled into him, ramming his head against Damien's side. "This proves it! They're working for this Seth!" he yowled, preparing to attack again. He could feel his sister's horrified eyes on him, feel the shocked and confused eyes of everyone else. "Longstride, you're not dead yet! Get up and move!" he growled, before leaping again, claws outstretched. He aimed for the broad shoulders; maybe he could knock him off balance. This cat must have very little sense to screw with us. He's got the whole forest watching him now, he thought, his eyes shining with murder and rage. This cat wanted a fight; he sure as hell would get one.

Cinderstar sat there, utterly shocked at how one of them just launched himself at the Echoclan deputy. They should have come here, knowing that we might think that, she thought, her blue eyes narrowing into slits. She jumped down after a Dawnclan tom, and atempted to pull him back. "He tried to kill someone!" the tom snapped, struggling away from her. He went back to his attack, leaving Cinderstar thinking of a way to stop him. Only then did she remember Longstride, the deputy. She hurried over, quickly examining the cat. "Are you alright? Should I call for a medicine cat?" she said, speaking quickly and quietly. She didn't wait for an answer; "Falconcry!" she called

Willowears merely sat there, watching the two toms tumble below him. He made no move to help, unlike Cinderstar. He just watched them, with wounded eyes. Then he turned to Fala, watching her reaction.

Frostfur sat beside the Mistclan elder, horrified. "Sootclaw!!" she screetched, jumping down after. "Leave him alone!" she hissed at Damien. She was going to join her brother in attack when she caught a shape in the corner of her eye. Hissing angerily, she turned and scrambled to sit beside Cinderstar. "What do we do?" she whispered. She did the first thing she could think of; "Stormdreamer!" she called. Sootclaw can take care of himself, she thought when he paws itched to help her brother. He'll be alright...

[Rose]

Longstride blinked suddenly, feeling as if she was coming out of a dream. The fight had been what she was focused on, and suddenly it was over. The she-cat shook her head, the fuzzy images becoming still. Hovering over her was a leader's face, her eyes worried. She could still hear shocked cries of the cats behind her as the screaming of the fight continued to pound at her. The she-cat then moved suddenly, hauling herself to trembling limbs. "No, I'm fine. Thank you Cinderstar." she meowed, swaying slightly. Suddenly, the deputy leaned to heavily to one side and she fell against Cinderstar. She made an effort to move, but she couldn't. What's wrong with me? she wondered, confused. Usually a battle didn't faze her like this one did. Perhaps it had been the suddeness of the attack, or the near death. Whatever it was, it was hurting her more than the fight had.

[♫ E§he ♥]

~Damien~

The white throat just a paw-length away seemed to be as desirable as a plump piece of fresh-kill in Leafbare. I slowly reached forward, the calico she-cat's attempts of breaking free growing fainter. I felt her gentle pulse between my jaws, her breath coming in long, deep rasps. Her pulse calmed, strange, because she was about to die. I was about to kill her.
I am about to kill her? Wait... NO! NO, I DON'T WANT TO KILL HER!

I released her throat, still smooth and white. I looked into her eyes. I saw fear. THE fear. The fear shown to my by everyone who knows who my father is. I was hit with a sudden realization.
They were right...
I felt powerful, Clan arms wrap around my mid-section and drag me off her. Two or three sets of paws pinned me to the ground, but I did not fight back. My whole body felt numb with horror and shame at what I'd done. They had been right to judge me, my tribe. They could see in me what I could not see in myself.

Through the mass of arms binding me to the earth, I saw Fala's disappointed gaze. And for some reason, that hurt me most of all. I wished binding arms would kill me. As long as a piece of Seth lived, it deserved to die.

[Rose]

Longstride suddenly saw Damien. Her mind pushed thoughts together, and suddenly they clicked. That was the tom she was fighting with. The tom that had nearly killed her. She shuddered slightly at the memory of her throat in his jaws. She had been so close to dying.... It was too much to handle.

The she-cat tried to stumble forward, but could not. She still remained leaning against the leader's flank, her breath ragged. Slowly, she raised her tail, cats behind her quieting with an abrupt halt. All was quiet in the hollow. The cats stared at the scene in front with wide eyes as the deputy of Echoclan took a shaky breath. She glared at the tom, her eyes now mere slits flashing with both hate and fear. "Get away." she breathed, a growl growing. "Get away from me and my Clan." she meowed, words growing to a loud, desperate pitch.

[♫ E§he ♥]

~Damien~

The deputy called Longstride looked down at me with the same hatred I was so used to. She leaned against her leader, her head raised in pride but her shoulders sagging in weariness. The cats who were pinning me hadn't released their grip, which meant they suspected me of continuing the fight. I felt every eye in the clearing glaring at me.
I felt stiff with disappointment in myself. I had ruined our chance to help these cats survive against Seth. No. I had ruined Fala's chance. I hadn't come here for them. I had come to kill Seth, my father.

The warrior called Sootclaw seemed to watch me the hardest. Her eyes filled with the anger and mistrust that was reflected in every eye, and every heart.

'Get away. Get away from me and my Clan.'
Longstride's words hurt me even more then the ones accusing me of working with Seth. I bowed my head. I was Seth's son, I deserved this treatment. No. I was Seth.
I turned my gaze to the four leaders looking at me with disgust. Some cats seemed to be looking at Fala like they were me. I knew what I had to do.

"Please," I spoke to every cat in the clearing, but mostly the leaders. "This isn't Fala's fault. It's mine. I lost control, and for that I apologize. I know you shouldn't have any reason to forgive me, and you shouldn't. You were right, Longstride. I didn't come to help you. Fala came out of compassion. I didn't. I came in my own conquest, my own path.
"You have every right to banish me from this forest, and I urge you to. But please, accept Fala. She is the one who deserves your respect and the credit for the warning."

[Rose]

Longstride swallowed hard, her eyes moving upward while Damien spoke. Above the cats, StarClan shined with all their glory. Not once were they blocked out during the fight. What did that mean? Did StarClan want her to be killed? The she-cat shuddered and pushed herself away from Cinderstar. Her eyes flashed toward the leader as she dipped her head slowly in thanks. The deputy took a few steps forward, her legs trembling violently. For a moment it looked as if she would fall, but then determination filled her rage. The joints straightened, and Longstride rose to her full height. Her head held high, her shoulders squared. She was every bit the cat she was before the fight, save for the flicker of fear in her gaze and the blood running from her wounds. "My fellow Clan cats and leaders. I have only one thing to say on this matter, and I think you know what it is. I do not care for these cats, and I think they should leave, but it is up to our fine leaders. They shall decide, not me." she meowed. The words rang in the hollow for a few moments before Longstride limped toward the cats. A path was made through the mass of felines as the beaten deputy, the once strong and proud cat, limped out of the Stone Hollow.

[Måø§†]

Fala watched in horror as Damien leapt from her side, she could almost hear his anger and yearn for blood. But somehow she remained to look calmer than she was, the anger inside of her for the ruined opportunity of helping these innocent cats stayed low in the pit of her stomach. For one feeling over all masked everything else, disappointment. Damien had been wonderful at first, his anger controlled as he gave his speech, but somehow he let control. And Fala knew that she couldn't trust him, not when it came to the feelings and thoughts he kept hidden. She knew why he might be angry, but hadn't he traveled by her side all this way to help the same cats he was attacking? Was every minute they spent traveling for this one goal wasted? She knew the answer, the answer was yes. Mistrust, abuse over control.

When she notices the stone hard glances of all the cats around her she returned them, if the term, looks could kill, was real, somehow many of the cats around her would be motionless. Then Damien spoke, his words clear over the now hushed crowd. "You have every right to banish me from this forest, and I urge you to. But please, accept Fala. She was the one who deserves your respect and the credit for the warning."

The clouds over head were as dark as ever, the moon covered with the deep thick gray. How had the moon suddenly been covered? Many worries glances confirmed the croud was uneasy. Damien stared up at Fala, his eyes burning into her pelt, wanting her to say something. But she could think of nothing, was she to apologize. Apologize for what? Her companion who had lost control, almost murdered a deputy, and inform the cats here tonight that they still weren't on Seths side. With a last gaze of disappointment she spoke, "I no longer want to stand in-between you, but please regard our message with care, my message, Seth will come, and when he does you must be ready. I am not on his side, truth told, why else would I warn you of this? Why would I tell you to be cautious? You must be prepared, head my warning, or no doubt this forest will be wiped out!" her last words rang clear, cold, and growing to the point of yelling. And she meant it. If only the cats would take her words and use them, train their apprentices, strengthen their camp, hold extra meetings, patrols, she knew what was coming, he would be strong, merciless, power hungry.

And she left, if Damien would or could follow she only hoped. But she was not in power to let him, she knew she would be blamed and questions, maybe even attack if she stayed.

Her soot black tail was the last thing out of the clearing.

[Silver]

Cinderstar followed Longstride wordlessly. After all three cats spoke, she glanced up. The sky had been clear until Fala started to speak. Silently, she turned and leaped onto the Stone. "StarClan has declared it! This Gathering has ended!" She yowled, her eyes feirce as she gazed around the clearing. She turned to Damien, her eyes hard. "Though you truely don't deseverve it, I will not demand you leave the forest. As long as you don't harm another soul, you have my permission," she sighed, then shook her head. "No, you don't deserve my mercy at all..." With that, she jumped down from the Stone. "Mistclan, were leaving! Now!" She called, waiting only for Willowears to give Damien and the retreating Fala a long look before leaving, her fur puffed out in annoyance. Even poor Willowears had to scramble after Cinderstar as she left the Stone Hollow.

Frostfur padded up to Longstride's side. "Do you want Stormdreamer or another medicine cat to help you?" she asked, her normally soft voice even quieter. She watched Fala leave and saw Sootclaw still pinning Damien down. "Sootclaw, leave him be! The fight is over. You won," she called, glaring at both toms. With a sigh, she looked around for someone in Longstride's Clan.

Sootclaw gritted his teeth as Frostfur hissed at him. He shoved off Damien roughly, a growl rising in his thoart. "To think you almost had our trust," he hissed, then spat at Damien. He sat there, glaring at the tom for a moment before lashing his paw out, quick as a flash. A small scratch oozed blood on Damien's muzzle. "Start thinking," he glowered, then turned and stalked after his sister. "Cinderstar's right; you don't deserve to be here," he said this quietly, only for the tom's ears. He ignored Damien as he helped Frostfur with the deputy, eyes glittering in the night.

[Rose]

Once out of sight of the other cats, Longstride had allowed herself to feel her pain. She sank to the ground, her breathing rapid and shallow. The she-cat began licking at her wounds, the salty taste of her blood stinging her mouth. Longstride felt as if her wounds were all on fire, but for some reason she was calm. The fight was over, and she would have time to heal.

With pain-filled eyes, Longstride looked up at the deputy. "Help from anywhere would be much appreciated." she gasped out, dipping her head.

[♫ E§he ♥]

~Damien~

'I no longer want to stand in-between you, but please regard our message with care, my message, Seth will come, and when he does you must be ready. I am not on his side, truth told, why else would I warn you of this? Why would I tell you to be cautious? You must be prepared, head my warning, or no doubt this forest will be wiped out!'

Fala left, but her words echoed through the clearing long after her voice had ceased. The clearing began to stir after what seemed like moons of silence. I was once again hit with the realization of what had happened. What were Fala and I now? Rogues?
When we left our tribe, they said we couldn't come back. We had hoped the Clans would give us a temporary home, but now everything was lost. I decided I didn't want to stay in this clearing any longer.

The cat who bound me let me go on his leader's word, leaving me with one last stinging warning. Angry yowls followed me from the clearing, sharp claws bade me farewell if they could reach me. I bounded up the side of the hollow, swallowed eagerly by the brush.
I could smell Fala's scent, but I didn't want to shame her by traveling with a cat who couldn't even control his own temper. I went another way. Somewhere, anywhere but here. I couldn't stand living. And I knew I would soon get by wish by the buzzing in my head. I was still losing blood.

I quickened my pace, the shadows comforting my broken soul. I had to make it out of Clan territory. Where I'm going, I don't know. But I hope Fala will never have to smell my traitorous scent again.
I knew I still had a duty to my mother's memory. I still had to find and kill Seth. That is why I came. Fala thought she had a companion, but in truth, she had nothing but a cat who was as bad as Seth.

I really am my father's son.

[Silver]

(Your post confuses me Eshe XD But then again, I guess Damien is confused, isn't he?)

Frostfur nodded, then scrambled back to the clearing. Mistclan, it seemed, had left. But whatever Cinderstar had said was now echoed in many whispered conversations. She glanced up. Clouds were slowly retreating from the moon. The Gathering was over. "Stormdreamer, Frostfeather, Sunfall, one of you! I need some help over here!" she called, searching for some cobwebs. Yes, a medicine cat would know best.

Sootclaw sat beside Longstride, roughly licking the blood away. It tasted vile in his mouth, but he ignored it. It kept him distracted from angery thoughts. He could faintly smell the toms partner, Fala. He could also smell that traitor, Damien. It confused him that the tom was going the other way of the she-cat, but he continued to ignore everything. He should be ashamed, he thought, easing up on the pressure of his licks. "Frostfur will be back in a second," he mumbled, glaring at the air in front of him.

[♫ E§he ♥]

End o thread?

[Rose]

I think so. XD

[♫ E§he ♥]

Okey Dokey