MoonClan (1x1, Closed)

Creekwhisker hurriedly got to her paws - as quickly as she could at any rate. She was still very pregnant and her head moved this way and that, but she still moved after Motheye at a fair clip to try and catch up to the other queen. She wasn't sure what was happening, but if push came to shove, she'd need backup.
Rattlesnake got to his feet as soon as he'd heard the queen running toward him and his mate. His pelt bristled almost at once, even as Dream hurried to his own paws and laid a tail over the tabby's back in an effort to comfort him.
"Hold up, hold up!" the one eyed tom cried, weaving away from Motheye. "What's all this about?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Creekwhisker assured, waving her tail to try and brush off the attention. It wouldn't help Motheye. Brindlekit was still missing.
"Motheye's kit is missing," Creekwhisker added, glancing at Rattlesnake. The tabby tom was still bristling.
Mockingstar hurriedly padded forward, fur bristling to match. "What's happened?"
There was a sharp look over Dream and then Rattlesnake. "Where's Brindlekit?"
"This has nothing to do with us," Rattlesnake said carefully, trying to meet Motheye's gaze. "But we don't have an interest in seeing any kits harmed ... maybe we can help?"

(I'll try and reply tomorrow.)

(Boop to keep the ghosts away.)

"Would I have told you about them before we got over the rise if it was?" asked Rattlesnake with a sigh, his tail twitching. "I did so you could prepare. There's a group of rogues. They don't always like doing what they're told."
There was a growl in his voice, but he personally didn't seem that worried.
"Were you interested in coming or not?"

"The next move is to see how this goes," said Rattlesnake. "It's to talk peacefully. There are a lot of rogues. They aren't just going to let you attack them and let you leave."
Even he called them rogues. He didn't look at the two clan cats though.
"Understand that I don't know why they would take your kits." Other than perhaps to annoy him. "They listen to me and Dream as a team, you understand. The fact that your leader wasn't very keen on both of us coming makes things slightly difficult. How we deal with this is talking."
And he started heading over the hill.

Clearly Rattlesnake didn't expect a fight - at least that was the hope. There was the expectation that they didn't need to worry about such things because he was bringing along two cats who didn't fight as a rule - at least not currently. But he wasn't exactly someone which they could trust.
Beyond the rise was a dip and in the dip was the vague signs that cats - more than one had been there. Rattlesnake walked to the center of the dip, then sat down, wrapping his long tail around his paws. He waited a second for the MoonClan cats to catch up with him. Then he raised his chin and watched the edge of the dip.
It only took a couple seconds for three silhouettes to appear at the edge. Rattlesnake's ears angled backward, but not to much.
"Try not to pick any fights," he warned as the three cats slowly padded down to where they were. "This isn't one we'd win."

"What have we here?" asked a piebald white-and-brown tom with a short tail and white paws. He walked almost right up to Rattlesnake, head tilting just a little bit back. Rattlesnake was taller than he was. A black cat followed after, their eyes half lidded, like they weren't completely sure if they wanted to be there.
"Permafrost," Rattlesnake greeted. His voice was polite enough. "It's possible that a couple of kits may have recently come into your possession. Is that correct?"
Permafrost slowly moved around Motheye and Dappleshine, frowning at them.
"Who are these cats? I find that to be a more important question."
"Dappleshine and Motheye," Rattlesnake answered.
Permafrost looked at Motheye, sniffing in her direction, then looked bored. "Oh."
He turned away.
"Go back to whatever you were doing then. I'm not interested in talking."

Permafrost paused, tail flicking left, then right. The little bob of fur hardly expressed the same range of emotions as a full tail, but Rattlesnake knew well enough to recognize slight irritation. It took him a second to look back in Dappleshine's direction. When he did, he tilted his chin up a bit.
"You have your clan to support. We have ours. Ask the cat beside you have many kittens he's taken into our group? I'm merely following in the footsteps of our glorious leader during his absence." There was a hint of sardonicism in Permafrost's voice and a sharp glance. But his voice became almost a purr. "How interesting that you're trusting him to get them back for you when it's him who taught me everything I know."
Rattlesnake bristled. Permafrost was doing what he loved. Gaining attention. And in this case, it was by throwing Rattlesnake to the foxes. By telling the truth. Oh, it was the truth alright. Of a kind ...
"So we have your kits because we need your kits. Your Clan does not," Permafrost said dismissively.

Rattlesnake bristled as well, but was surprised to see that it was the other cat who seemed to step forward. Their black pelt and mismatched eyes were very familiar. As they approached they bristled up and Rattlesnake prepared himself for more accusations. But instead they looked right at Motheye and said, "You should leave. Now."
But there was something else. One eye closed. A wink.
Then the cat had turned on their heels, tails held high.
Rattlesnake wasn't sure what to make of it, but his tail rested on Motheye's back.
"Are you willing to trust me one last time," he murmured.