Confrontation

[Thistlestar]

After racing from Hailstorm out at the Halfbridge, Heronclaw unconsciously made her way back to Camp.
It was there, that she sought out Thistlestar.
When Heronclaw entered the camp, she was radiating anger and agression, and sniffed the air once, immediately smelling her kins scent, over in her den.
Without a rational thought making its way through her brain, she stalked over to her sister.
Today, this all would end.
One way or the other.

[TAZ]

Adderstep was waiting. As usual, he had completed his clan duties quite early and was now sitting stone still next to a small shrub. His eyes were glazed over, and he was lost in the past. He was also thinking of the way Leaf-bare had seemed to strip the freshkill pile of anything tasty. The rivers were all frozen, and he couldn't enjoy any salmon or trout. In fact, the only real food source was everyone's least favorite- the birds. Most of them had gone south, but there were still some cardinals and sparrows. He hated birds; they tasted gamey and chewy, not sleek and moist like fish.

He nodded to Heronclaw as she entered the camp, thinking nothing of her heavy breathing or disgusted look.

Wait, heavy breathing and disgust?

She was angrily padding towards Thistlestar's den, her gait heavy and aggressive. Adderstep knew of their family tension, and he immediately rushed over to her. "Oh. Woah. Hey, Heronclaw. Uh, where, where are you headed for?"

[/color] he said nervously. Heronclaw was certainly not a force to be reckoned with. [/blockquote][/size]

[Thistlestar]

Heronclaw ignored the deputy, Adderstep and pushed past him angrily. She had just barely made her way to Thistlestars den, when she herself stepped out into the winter sunlight.

Thistlestar knew this day would come, sooner or later.
Her sister had finally snapped under the pressure... the anger that welled up inside of her, ever since Thistlestar was born.
Thistlestar was not a mouse-brain; she knew how her sister felt about her. While Thistlestar understood, still, she never tried to make amends. And this dire mistake, would cost her, and her Clan, more than she could imagine.

Heronclaw stopped before her sister, her face livid with fury. Crouching down in a fighting stance, she snarled, and waited for the bane of her shared flesh, to speak.

"Speak your mind, sister. Be not rash to fighting; this may be consulted without violence on either of our parts," Thistlestar spoke, sitting down before her sister, calmly assessing her.

Heronclaw howled in frustration.
"How can I do that dear sister?" she spat at her. "How can I speak my mind, when whatever I say, will not make once pawful of impact on your brain?"

By now most of the Clan had gathered anxiously around the two and Adderstep, watching with heavy hearts. They too, knew this day would come.

[TAZ]

[ooc; maybe you should post an announcement for every rc cat to be here.]

Adderstep bared his teeth angrily. Who did Heronclaw think she was? His tail whipped on the ground, and the fur on his haunches stood up straight. He turned on his heels and watched as she readied herself for a fight. Thistlestar stood calmly, but Adderstep wasn't so serene. He matched Heronclaw's position and growled lowly.

"Speak your mind, sister. Be not rash to fighting; this may be consulted without violence on either of our parts.

He made an effort to straighten up, this time looking like a vision of calm. His eyes burned with fear and anger; Heronclaw knew that if she attacked the leader, he would fight her until she had been rid of for good. "Be careful what you say, Heronclaw."

[/color] he whispered, narrowing his eyes and unsheathing his claws. [/blockquote][/size]

[Thistlestar]

Heronclaw snarled in response to Adderstep's naive comment, not bothering to grace the dear deputy with words. She turned from him, and stared back at her leader.
"This day has been long coming, Thistlestripe," Heronclaw spoke, undermining her sisters superior rank by negating the 'star' that was rightfully on her name, and demoting her to her lowly warrior name. "I can no longer take your leadership; you don't deserve it. Leader of RiverClan was my destiny. Not yours. Spotstar was addled in ever thinking you were the best choice of his sucessor."

Thistlestar flinched at her degraded name. But, she wasn't surprised. "Be that your opinion, Heronclaw." she meowed calmly. But then, her whole demenor changed. She stood up, and crouched, agitated. "Do not devile Spotstars name, or you tempt the wrath of StarClan upon us all."
Thistlestar relaxed her stance, and looked over at Adderstep briefly, noting his also agitated stance.
She knew her deputy would defend her, but she did not want this to end in a battle. Looking back at her sisters unrelaxed stance, she knew her enough to know that it would end that way... now or sometime soon.

Heronclaw could take no more. Thistlestar was as addled at Spotstar in thinking she was meant to lead! She would teach her a lesson, no matter the kin connection they shared.
"Then so be it! This will be your last day as leader, Thistlestar, if I have anything to do with it!" and with that, she launched herself at Thistlestar, claws unsheathed and fangs bared.

[Halfstar]

Hailstorm had been so surprised at the half-bridge that he smelled nothing, heard nothing, and sat there, his tail lashing wildly back and forth as he sat there for a few minutes, eyes wide with surprise. Than he hissed, he got up from his sitting position, back arched with annoyance as he followed Heronclaw's scent, which would obviously lead back to the camp. Mouse-brained fool! He hissed under his breath, moving as quick as he could back to the camp. Ignoring the cold and the prey as he made his way back to camp.

He knew, as his brain rushed with adrenaline that she was going to do something, something in the future in which she may or may not regret. He could have tackled her before she ran but no, he sat like a surprised kit. Mouse-brain! Mouse-brain! He hissed to himself in his head as he got into the camp. He knew that by the time he got there, something would have already happened. And he was right, her voice echoed in his ear right before she launched herself at Thistlestar. He hissed violently, running even quicker, his claws unsheathed like Heronclaw as he launched himself to tackle her down to the ground.

[TAZ]

Adderstep lurched forward, but instead of blocking the attempt he ended up landing on the haunches of another cat. With no time to apologize, he leapt up and jumped towards Heronclaw once more, his mind spinning. This couldn't be happening. Not now.

ooc; sorry, quick, but im on my way out. ill edit it so its better later.

[Thistlestar]

Heronclaw screeched as Adderstep intercepted her just as she got her claws into Thistlestars fur.

Thistlestar had tried to avoid her sisters attack, but wasn't quick enough. She had underestimated Heronclaws rage. She was thankful for Addersteps quick relfexes.

[Blood-Aye]

Sharpclaw had been busy eating a small salmon when Heronclaw came into camp, by the look in her eye he knew something very bad was about to happen. His eyes followed her until she reached Thistlestar's Den. He blinked. Heronclaw never liked her sister, this was bad. Standing and moving over to the growing crowd of Riverclan cats he forced himself through to the front. The moment he reached the front the fighting started. He looked on in disbelief as Heronclaw attacked Thistlestar, he started forward but stopped as a cat launched themselves into the fray just as Adderstep lunged forward.Whats going on... he thought to himself, he sighed. They were in the middle of leafbare and shouldn't be fighting each other like this, drawing himself up he let out loud yowl."STOP!"

[Thistlestar]

Heronclaw wrenched herself from Addersteps grasp and spun around to face Thistlestar just as she launched herself at her.

Thistlestar watched as Adderstep tried to stop her sister from attacking her, and stepped back from the fray. But within moments of Adderstep blocking Heronclaw, she was able to get free.
It was like Thistlestar watched everything in slow motion. But the moment Adderstep tried to defer Heronclaw, Thistlestar knew she had to stop this... before her blood-raged sister hurt anyone of her Clan. So, it was then she launched herself at her sister as she was turning to attack her.
Thistlestar barely heard one of her RiverClan cats --- it sounded like Sharpclaw --- cry for them to stop. So, Thistlestar heeded him, and pinned Heronclaw to the ground.

With a loud screech of fury, Heronclaw tried to wrestle free of Thistlestar's grip, but she had her held fast. She could barely move a paw.

"I'm giving you one warning, sister. Stop now, and the consquences for your treachery will be severe, but not as they will be if you do not cease this madness!" Thistlestar said, loud enough for all of the assembled cats to hear.

Still pinned, Heronclaw tried to free herself but still could not.
At her sisters meow of her to surrender, Heronclaw began to laugh.
"Madness?! You're calling me mad?! You underestimate me sister, and that is what will be your downfall!" with those words, strength surged up inside Heronclaw and she threw Thistlestar off her and into the reeds surrounding the camp. There was a loud, sickening thump and a cry of pain, and Heronclaw looked around for the first time at all the cats surrounding her.
It was then she made a decision.
"This isn't the end!" she cried, and raced out of the camp, viciously pushing any cat in her way out of her path.

And in the reeds, Thistlestar was wounded.

[Blood-Aye]

Sharpclaw narrowed his eyes as Heronclaw pushed her way through and out of camp. Traitor He thought and turned back to the reeds where Thistlestar and dissapeared into he moved over to them peering in.


Mintleaf pushed her way through the crowd of cats after Heronclaw had, she finally reached her way to the front of the crowd and quickly moved to the reeds where Sharpclaw stood. She pushed past him and into the reeds. She soon found Thistlestar. "Are you all right Thistlestar?" She asked, looking over her leader with a trained medicine cats eye

[Thistlestar]

Thistlestar groaned and tired weakly to get to her paws... but was unable too. The small space inside the reeds she had made wasn't totally frozen over and because of the small pool of water still liquid it showed how wounded she was: blood slowly pooled around her head from where she had struck it on a rock. With a gasp, she collasped in a heap.

And she was be transported to StarClan... losing her first life.

Thistlestar was vaguely aware of the throbbing pain in her skull, above her left eye when she blacked out. Then, everything was very strange. She felt... formless... weightless, but felt her body like it was being taken somewhere. Her eyes were closed and she couldn't open them. It was only when a very familiar voice spoke, was she able to.
"Open your eyes, Thistlestar and join us for a while while you heal."
She threw open her eyes and saw Spotstar standing before her. She was in the same place as when she blacked out... but saw no other cats that had been present around her anymore.
"What... what happened? Where is everyone?" Thistlestar asked.
Spotstar dipped her head. "You're out of time for a bit, Thistlestar. You're being healed by us --- StarClan --- while Mintleaf works on you in the real world; we're merely helping you survive until he can tend to you."
"I'm... hurt?"
"Technically, you're losing your first life. Your sister made you bash your head pretty hard on that river rock."
Thistlestar stared at Spotstar. But it was then she knew she had to ask.
"Why... Spotstar, did you choose me for Deputy and not Heronclaw? I was so new and she -"
Spotstar cut her off.
"I had watched your sister her whole life. She was unstable... and I saw her anger issues. When I passed to join StarClan, I knew she could not lead RiverClan. And, yes, you were new to being a warrior, Thistlestar... but StarClan shared a dream with me. About you. You have a destiny you can barely imagine. Your heart is strong, and you'll know what to do when she comes back."
Thistlestar couldn't help but gasp.
"Yes, you have not seen the end of Heronclaw. Not yet, Thistlestar." Spotstar spoke gravely as she began to fade. "Farewell for now Thistlestar. StarClan will always be here, watching over your Clan."
And reality came flooding back.

[Halfstar]

He hissed, as the deputy hit him and they both missed the she-cat. He had warned Heronclaw, she had not taken heed. Her anger would probably consume her and she would, he didn't underestimate, that she would come back and get some sort of revenge to her sister. He grumbled, walking away from the mess of cats and sat down instead, watching the fight with a calculating stare but neither fighting or trying to help the fray of cats. He heard Heronclaw as she left the camp, they would probably treat her like an enemy cat, though that all depended on Thistlestar's words. Heronclaw was up against something that was more than her, Thistlestar had yet to lose her lives and Heronclaw only had one. "Help us Starclan." He muttered under his breath, a sarcastic edge to it.

He did not help to look for Thistlestar with Sharpclaw or Mintleaf, either Thistlestar had lost a life or she had been injured and would take a few days of rest. One would find out when the three cat's came back up. His eyes turned towards Adderstep, no emotion that was traceable in his eyes, almost as if he didn't care what happened to his clan. He padded towards the tom, speaking while doing so, "Do take order, calm the clan down while Thistlestar get's looked at by Mintleaf.

[Blood-Aye]

Mintleaf watched in despair as her leader lost her first life. got up and wandered in the reeds a bit more, soon come back with a wad of cobwebs pressing them into the large wound on Thistlestar's head. She looked up at Sharpclaw "Would you help me get her to my den?" She looked back down at Thistlestar who was beginning to regain consciousness. she leaned down and spoke softly "Easy Thistlestar, move slowly" She said gently before looking back up at Sharpclaw.

Sharpclaw only watched as Mintleaf went to work on Thistlestar. He saw the look on Mintleaf's face when she first got to there leaders side Did she lose a life? he wondered. His suspicions were soon answered as Thistlestar slowly began to wake up. He nodded at Mintleaf's instructions and moved closer to Thistlestar, he would only help When told to.

[Thistlestar]

Thistlestar was slightly aware of Mintleaf's orders to move slowly; she tried to stand and stumbled, almost blacking out again... but Spotstars words still rang fresh, over and over, in her mind.
She with the help of Mintleaf and Sharpclaw, made her way out of the reeds and to Mintleaf's den.

~Continued in the RiverClan Medicine Cat Den under: Attended To for Sharpclaw, Mintleaf, and Thistlestar (As well as anybody else who wants to join). Hailstorm and Adderstep can continue if liked.~