Post by Whispering Willow on Jul 18, 2024 16:53:13 GMT -5
With 14 votes for Justified and 10 votes for Unjustified, Duststar is Justified! That was closer than I thought it would be, and I didn't expect the outcome, either.
Next scenario:
Fireheart 2: In A Dangerous Path, ThunderClan finds evidence of prey being killed by dogs, but Bluestar, who is unwell, wrongfully believes that WindClan is stealing prey. She reveals plans to attack WindClan, and in an attempt to avert this, Fireheart meets with Tallstar in secrecy, a plan that not all of ThunderClan agrees with. Tallstar and Bluestar meet and are finally able to resolve their conflict, but Bluestar’s trust in Fireheart is damaged. Was Fireheart justified in secretly meeting with Tallstar in order to try to make peace between ThunderClan and WindClan?
Fireheart's meeting with Tallstar, and subsequently, Tallstar's meeting with Bluestar, are provided below.
Fireheart's meeting with Tallstar:
Tallstar's meeting with Bluestar:
“No.” Tallstar took another pace forward, flicking his tail to summon Deadfoot, his deputy, to his side. Looking directly at Bluestar, he dipped his head. “No battle will be fought here today. I said that I would come here to talk, and that’s what I intend to do.”
Bluestar did not respond. She crouched on the ground, her fur bristling and her teeth bared in a snarl of defiance. Fireheart was suddenly afraid that she had changed her mind, and wondered what would happen if she launched herself at the WindClan leader. He sent up a fervent prayer to StarClan that she would not order her warriors to attack.
Meanwhile, Onewhisker came up to Mudclaw and nudged him roughly back into line. For a moment that seemed to Fireheart to last several moons, the two lines of cats faced each other, their fur blowing in the wind, their eyes gleaming with a tension that teetered on the brink of breaking out into squalling, biting rage.
“Bluestar,” Tallstar spoke again. “Will you come here to me, between our warriors? Bring your deputy with you, and let us see if we can make peace.”
“Peace?” Bluestar spat. “How can I make peace with prey stealers and rogues?”
Yowls of protest rose from the WindClan cats. Mudclaw sprang forward, but Onewhisker leaped after him and bowled him over, holding him writhing on the turf. Fireheart saw Darkstripe lashing his tail to and fro; if Mudclaw attacked, Darkstripe would meet him, and all hope of peace would be over.
“Do as Tallstar says,” Fireheart mewed desperately to Bluestar. “That’s why we’re here. WindClan has suffered from stolen prey, just like ThunderClan.”
Bluestar rounded on him, a look of venomous hatred blazing in her blue eyes. “It seems we have no choice,” she hissed at him. “But there’ll be a reckoning for this, Fireheart. You can be sure of that.”
Stiff-legged, her fur bristling, she paced forward until she stood in front of Tallstar, right on the border of WindClan territory. Fireheart followed, murmuring to Sandstorm, “Keep an eye on Darkstripe,” as he left the line of warriors.
Tallstar watched Bluestar coolly as she approached. The WindClan leader had never forgiven her, Fireheart knew, for sheltering his old enemy Brokentail, but he had the wisdom not to let his grudge influence him now. “Bluestar,” he meowed, “I swear by StarClan that WindClan has not hunted on your territory.”
“StarClan!” Bluestar sneered. “What’s the worth of an oath by StarClan?”
The black-and-white tom looked taken aback, his gaze flickering to Fireheart as if he were looking for an explanation. “Then I will swear it by anything you hold sacred,” he went on. “By our kits, by our hopes for our Clans, by our honor as leaders. WindClan did not do what you accuse us of.”
For the first time his words seemed to reach Bluestar. Fireheart saw her fur begin to lie flat. “How can I believe you?” she rasped.
“We have lost prey too,” Tallstar told her. “It may be dogs, or rogues. It is not cats from WindClan.”
“So you say,” meowed Bluestar. She sounded uncertain now. Fireheart thought that perhaps Tallstar was beginning to convince her, but she did not know how to back down without losing dignity.
“Bluestar,” Fireheart mewed urgently, “a noble leader doesn’t take her warriors into battle without need. If there’s the least doubt that—”
“Do you think you know more than I do about how to lead a Clan?” Bluestar interrupted. Her fur had bristled again, but this time it was Fireheart who was the target of her anger.
He caught a glimpse of the old, formidable ThunderClan leader, and it was all he could do not to flinch from her.
“Young cats think they know everything,” Tallstar meowed. There was a hint of sympathetic humor in his voice, and Fireheart felt a flash of gratitude toward the WindClan leader for his sensitivity to Bluestar’s fears. “But sometimes we have to listen to them. There is no need for this battle.”
Bluestar’s ears twitched irritably. “Very well,” she mewed reluctantly. “I accept your word—for now. But if my patrols scent WindClan one tail-length over our border...” She whipped around and called to the ThunderClan cats. “Back to camp!” she ordered, leaping ahead of them.
As Fireheart turned to follow her, Tallstar dipped his head to him. “Thank you, Fireheart. You did well, and my Clan honors your courage in averting this battle—but I don’t envy you now.”
Next scenario:
Fireheart 2: In A Dangerous Path, ThunderClan finds evidence of prey being killed by dogs, but Bluestar, who is unwell, wrongfully believes that WindClan is stealing prey. She reveals plans to attack WindClan, and in an attempt to avert this, Fireheart meets with Tallstar in secrecy, a plan that not all of ThunderClan agrees with. Tallstar and Bluestar meet and are finally able to resolve their conflict, but Bluestar’s trust in Fireheart is damaged. Was Fireheart justified in secretly meeting with Tallstar in order to try to make peace between ThunderClan and WindClan?
Fireheart's meeting with Tallstar, and subsequently, Tallstar's meeting with Bluestar, are provided below.
Fireheart's meeting with Tallstar:
Shadows were gathering in the den, and Fireheart could feel rather than see the shapes of the cats who guarded him. Tension crackled between them, as if they were waiting for the tiniest excuse to attack him. During his journey across the moor he had thought hard about what he would say, but he still didn’t know whether he would manage to convince Tallstar that there was a way to avoid Bluestar’s attack.
“You know that Bluestar is unhappy about the loss of prey,” Fireheart began.
Instantly the fur on the WindClan leader’s shoulders began to bristle. “WindClan did not steal prey from ThunderClan!” he snapped.
“We’ve found scattered remains too,” Deadfoot asserted, limping forward and thrusting his muzzle close to Fireheart’s. “Are you sure ThunderClan hasn’t been stealing prey from us?”
Fireheart forced himself not to flinch. “No!” he protested. “I don’t believe any cats have stolen prey.”
“What happened to it, then?” Onewhisker asked.
“I think there’s a dog living in the forest. We’ve smelled it, and found its dung.”
“A dog!” Onewhisker echoed. His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “What, loose from its Twolegs?”
“I’m certain of it,” Fireheart meowed.
“Could be...” mewed Tallstar. To Fireheart’s relief, the fur on his shoulders was lying flat again. “We’ve certainly scented dog in our territory recently, but then, they’re always up here with their Twolegs.” Sounding more confident, he went on: “Yes, it could be a dog killing the rabbits. I'll see that our patrols keep a lookout.”
“But you didn’t come all this way to tell us that,” Deadfoot meowed. “So what’s on your mind, Fireheart?”
Fireheart took a deep breath. He didn’t want to betray Bluestar by telling Tallstar of her plans to attack—but he wanted to suggest to the WindClan leader that future battle could be avoided if he would just talk to Bluestar about the prey theft.
“I can’t convince Bluestar about the dog,” he explained. “She feels threatened by WindClan, and sooner or later this will all end in battle unless we can do something.” He could not tell the WindClan warriors how much sooner the battle would take place if he failed now. “Cats will be injured—killed, even—for nothing.”
“Then what do you expect me to do?” Tallstar asked testily. “She’s your leader, Fireheart. This is your problem.”
Fireheart dared to take a couple of steps toward the WindClan leader. “I’ve come to ask you to hold a meeting with Bluestar. If you could discuss things in private, you might be able to make peace.”
“Bluestar wants a meeting?” It was Deadfoot who spoke, sounding disbelieving. “Last time we saw her, she looked as if she would like to claw our throats out.”
“This isn’t Bluestar’s idea—it’s mine,” Fireheart confessed.
All three WindClan cats stared at him. Finally it was Onewhisker who broke the silence. “Does that mean you’re going behind your leader’s back?”
“It’s for the good of both our Clans,” he insisted.
He half expected to be chased out of the camp, but to his relief Tallstar was looking thoughtful. “I'd certainly rather talk than fight,” the leader meowed, “but how are we going to arrange it? How willing to listen will she be if she knows that you have talked to us first, without her knowledge?” Not waiting for Fireheart to reply, he went on: “Perhaps it would be best if I sent a messenger to ask her to meet me at Fourtrees—but can you guarantee the safety of a WindClan cat on ThunderClan territory?”
Fireheart was silent, which was answer in itself.
Tallstar shrugged. “I’m sorry, Fireheart. I won’t risk one of my warriors. If Bluestar decides that she’s willing to talk, she knows where to find us. Onewhisker, you’d better take Fireheart back to Fourtrees."
“Wait!” Fireheart protested. An idea had just slid into his mind—or perhaps StarClan had sent it to him. “I know what you can do.”
Tallstar’s eyes gleamed in the gathering darkness. “What?”
“Do you know the cat Ravenpaw? He’s a loner who lives on a farm on the edge of your territory, near Highstones. He sheltered us on the journey to bring you home—remember?”
“I know him,” meowed Onewhisker. “He’s a decent cat, even if he’s not a warrior. What about him?”
Fireheart turned to him eagerly. “He could take the message for you. And Bluestar has given him permission to enter ThunderClan territory—as he used to be a ThunderClan cat.”
Tallstar shifted in his nest of heather. “That sounds like it might work. What do you think, Deadfoot?”
A reluctant rumble of agreement came from the deputy.
“Then go!” Fireheart urged Onewhisker, realizing once again how quickly time was running out. “Go now. Tell him to ask Bluestar to meet Tallstar at dawn, at Fourtrees.” There was barely enough time for Onewhisker to find Ravenpaw, and for Ravenpaw to carry the message all the way to the ThunderClan camp before Bluestar would be leaving to launch her attack. Fireheart sent a silent prayer to StarClan that Onewhisker would be able to find Ravenpaw easily on the Twoleg farm.
Onewhisker glanced at his leader, who nodded. At once the brown tabby warrior turned around and disappeared into the darkness outside the den.
Tallstar gazed at Fireheart with narrowed eyes. “Why do I think there’s something you’re not telling me?” he mewed. To Fireheart’s relief, he did not press for more answers. “It’s time for you to go,” he continued. “Deadfoot, escort him off our territory. And Fireheart—I’ll be at Fourtrees at dawn, but that’s all I can do. If Bluestar wants peace, she must be there.”
“Fourtrees at dawn,” Fireheart repeated, and followed the deputy out.
“You know that Bluestar is unhappy about the loss of prey,” Fireheart began.
Instantly the fur on the WindClan leader’s shoulders began to bristle. “WindClan did not steal prey from ThunderClan!” he snapped.
“We’ve found scattered remains too,” Deadfoot asserted, limping forward and thrusting his muzzle close to Fireheart’s. “Are you sure ThunderClan hasn’t been stealing prey from us?”
Fireheart forced himself not to flinch. “No!” he protested. “I don’t believe any cats have stolen prey.”
“What happened to it, then?” Onewhisker asked.
“I think there’s a dog living in the forest. We’ve smelled it, and found its dung.”
“A dog!” Onewhisker echoed. His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “What, loose from its Twolegs?”
“I’m certain of it,” Fireheart meowed.
“Could be...” mewed Tallstar. To Fireheart’s relief, the fur on his shoulders was lying flat again. “We’ve certainly scented dog in our territory recently, but then, they’re always up here with their Twolegs.” Sounding more confident, he went on: “Yes, it could be a dog killing the rabbits. I'll see that our patrols keep a lookout.”
“But you didn’t come all this way to tell us that,” Deadfoot meowed. “So what’s on your mind, Fireheart?”
Fireheart took a deep breath. He didn’t want to betray Bluestar by telling Tallstar of her plans to attack—but he wanted to suggest to the WindClan leader that future battle could be avoided if he would just talk to Bluestar about the prey theft.
“I can’t convince Bluestar about the dog,” he explained. “She feels threatened by WindClan, and sooner or later this will all end in battle unless we can do something.” He could not tell the WindClan warriors how much sooner the battle would take place if he failed now. “Cats will be injured—killed, even—for nothing.”
“Then what do you expect me to do?” Tallstar asked testily. “She’s your leader, Fireheart. This is your problem.”
Fireheart dared to take a couple of steps toward the WindClan leader. “I’ve come to ask you to hold a meeting with Bluestar. If you could discuss things in private, you might be able to make peace.”
“Bluestar wants a meeting?” It was Deadfoot who spoke, sounding disbelieving. “Last time we saw her, she looked as if she would like to claw our throats out.”
“This isn’t Bluestar’s idea—it’s mine,” Fireheart confessed.
All three WindClan cats stared at him. Finally it was Onewhisker who broke the silence. “Does that mean you’re going behind your leader’s back?”
“It’s for the good of both our Clans,” he insisted.
He half expected to be chased out of the camp, but to his relief Tallstar was looking thoughtful. “I'd certainly rather talk than fight,” the leader meowed, “but how are we going to arrange it? How willing to listen will she be if she knows that you have talked to us first, without her knowledge?” Not waiting for Fireheart to reply, he went on: “Perhaps it would be best if I sent a messenger to ask her to meet me at Fourtrees—but can you guarantee the safety of a WindClan cat on ThunderClan territory?”
Fireheart was silent, which was answer in itself.
Tallstar shrugged. “I’m sorry, Fireheart. I won’t risk one of my warriors. If Bluestar decides that she’s willing to talk, she knows where to find us. Onewhisker, you’d better take Fireheart back to Fourtrees."
“Wait!” Fireheart protested. An idea had just slid into his mind—or perhaps StarClan had sent it to him. “I know what you can do.”
Tallstar’s eyes gleamed in the gathering darkness. “What?”
“Do you know the cat Ravenpaw? He’s a loner who lives on a farm on the edge of your territory, near Highstones. He sheltered us on the journey to bring you home—remember?”
“I know him,” meowed Onewhisker. “He’s a decent cat, even if he’s not a warrior. What about him?”
Fireheart turned to him eagerly. “He could take the message for you. And Bluestar has given him permission to enter ThunderClan territory—as he used to be a ThunderClan cat.”
Tallstar shifted in his nest of heather. “That sounds like it might work. What do you think, Deadfoot?”
A reluctant rumble of agreement came from the deputy.
“Then go!” Fireheart urged Onewhisker, realizing once again how quickly time was running out. “Go now. Tell him to ask Bluestar to meet Tallstar at dawn, at Fourtrees.” There was barely enough time for Onewhisker to find Ravenpaw, and for Ravenpaw to carry the message all the way to the ThunderClan camp before Bluestar would be leaving to launch her attack. Fireheart sent a silent prayer to StarClan that Onewhisker would be able to find Ravenpaw easily on the Twoleg farm.
Onewhisker glanced at his leader, who nodded. At once the brown tabby warrior turned around and disappeared into the darkness outside the den.
Tallstar gazed at Fireheart with narrowed eyes. “Why do I think there’s something you’re not telling me?” he mewed. To Fireheart’s relief, he did not press for more answers. “It’s time for you to go,” he continued. “Deadfoot, escort him off our territory. And Fireheart—I’ll be at Fourtrees at dawn, but that’s all I can do. If Bluestar wants peace, she must be there.”
“Fourtrees at dawn,” Fireheart repeated, and followed the deputy out.
Tallstar's meeting with Bluestar:
“No.” Tallstar took another pace forward, flicking his tail to summon Deadfoot, his deputy, to his side. Looking directly at Bluestar, he dipped his head. “No battle will be fought here today. I said that I would come here to talk, and that’s what I intend to do.”
Bluestar did not respond. She crouched on the ground, her fur bristling and her teeth bared in a snarl of defiance. Fireheart was suddenly afraid that she had changed her mind, and wondered what would happen if she launched herself at the WindClan leader. He sent up a fervent prayer to StarClan that she would not order her warriors to attack.
Meanwhile, Onewhisker came up to Mudclaw and nudged him roughly back into line. For a moment that seemed to Fireheart to last several moons, the two lines of cats faced each other, their fur blowing in the wind, their eyes gleaming with a tension that teetered on the brink of breaking out into squalling, biting rage.
“Bluestar,” Tallstar spoke again. “Will you come here to me, between our warriors? Bring your deputy with you, and let us see if we can make peace.”
“Peace?” Bluestar spat. “How can I make peace with prey stealers and rogues?”
Yowls of protest rose from the WindClan cats. Mudclaw sprang forward, but Onewhisker leaped after him and bowled him over, holding him writhing on the turf. Fireheart saw Darkstripe lashing his tail to and fro; if Mudclaw attacked, Darkstripe would meet him, and all hope of peace would be over.
“Do as Tallstar says,” Fireheart mewed desperately to Bluestar. “That’s why we’re here. WindClan has suffered from stolen prey, just like ThunderClan.”
Bluestar rounded on him, a look of venomous hatred blazing in her blue eyes. “It seems we have no choice,” she hissed at him. “But there’ll be a reckoning for this, Fireheart. You can be sure of that.”
Stiff-legged, her fur bristling, she paced forward until she stood in front of Tallstar, right on the border of WindClan territory. Fireheart followed, murmuring to Sandstorm, “Keep an eye on Darkstripe,” as he left the line of warriors.
Tallstar watched Bluestar coolly as she approached. The WindClan leader had never forgiven her, Fireheart knew, for sheltering his old enemy Brokentail, but he had the wisdom not to let his grudge influence him now. “Bluestar,” he meowed, “I swear by StarClan that WindClan has not hunted on your territory.”
“StarClan!” Bluestar sneered. “What’s the worth of an oath by StarClan?”
The black-and-white tom looked taken aback, his gaze flickering to Fireheart as if he were looking for an explanation. “Then I will swear it by anything you hold sacred,” he went on. “By our kits, by our hopes for our Clans, by our honor as leaders. WindClan did not do what you accuse us of.”
For the first time his words seemed to reach Bluestar. Fireheart saw her fur begin to lie flat. “How can I believe you?” she rasped.
“We have lost prey too,” Tallstar told her. “It may be dogs, or rogues. It is not cats from WindClan.”
“So you say,” meowed Bluestar. She sounded uncertain now. Fireheart thought that perhaps Tallstar was beginning to convince her, but she did not know how to back down without losing dignity.
“Bluestar,” Fireheart mewed urgently, “a noble leader doesn’t take her warriors into battle without need. If there’s the least doubt that—”
“Do you think you know more than I do about how to lead a Clan?” Bluestar interrupted. Her fur had bristled again, but this time it was Fireheart who was the target of her anger.
He caught a glimpse of the old, formidable ThunderClan leader, and it was all he could do not to flinch from her.
“Young cats think they know everything,” Tallstar meowed. There was a hint of sympathetic humor in his voice, and Fireheart felt a flash of gratitude toward the WindClan leader for his sensitivity to Bluestar’s fears. “But sometimes we have to listen to them. There is no need for this battle.”
Bluestar’s ears twitched irritably. “Very well,” she mewed reluctantly. “I accept your word—for now. But if my patrols scent WindClan one tail-length over our border...” She whipped around and called to the ThunderClan cats. “Back to camp!” she ordered, leaping ahead of them.
As Fireheart turned to follow her, Tallstar dipped his head to him. “Thank you, Fireheart. You did well, and my Clan honors your courage in averting this battle—but I don’t envy you now.”