[morning comes] to take [me away]

[Goldenblaze]

<sub>Goldenblaze didn't dare stop in the night. The night had fallen last night by the time he made it out of the RisingClan Camp. Morning was fading into patches on the horizon, and it showed dimly as the one-eared tom led the way into the camp, Barbwire to his flanks and a tom in his jaws, swinging to and fro with a rhythmic beat. What a lovely procession, really.

Barbwire strode into camp looking mighty proud of herself, her tail in the air pleasantly, eyes shining as she settled in the shade. But Goldenblaze moved past her, eyes straight ahead as he approaced Bane's den, his throan, his kingdom. With a grudged growl, he dropped Tiercel upon the ground before the den mouth. Just as Bane had asked. Two, hot-blooded kits, special order Kestrel's kin, ready to go. Order up, Bane.

A cracked chuckle sounded behind Goldenblaze. Y'would do Bane pleas'd Sharpfang said lightly. He was certainly intimidating looking [Didn't all of Boneclan look that way?], even if it was for his appearance. See, Sharpfang wasn't the most lovely of cats. He had so many scars, and his coat was thick with mud and grime. A single snaggle tooth stuck out on his lower jaw in a sneer. It'dnt be wise t'run, y'see, if ya value yer lifes Rasped the deputy, tail twitching.

Goldenblaze only looked curtly at the Deputy as he threatened the young 'uns. Perhaps the little tom would be likely to try and run, but Goldenblaze was unconcerned. It had taken a full-grown tom to run all night to reach home. And when he was trapped in a Clan filled to the brim with dormant evil? It certainly wasn't the best of omens.</sub>

[Tiercel]

this river is wild.

Tiercel landed on his paws, his dark fur fluffed up. He looked around the camp with eyes that were wide and angry.

The black tom set his sister down beside him, rather more gently than the golden tom; he had just dropped him.

The kit pressed himself against his sister, his silver-tipped tail twining itself with hers. His mismatched eyes blazed two colors, mirroring his mother's save for one tiny detail: his were switched, blue where Kestrel was yellow, yellow where she was blue. But the passion in them was the same.
"I tole ya to let us go!" he growled. "I'm not scared a you!"

But in truth, he was...just a little bit. Especially the brown one, the one with the scars and the dirty pelt and the snaggletooth. He looked like a BoneClanner.
Actually, the dark one, in his waiting silence, unnerved him a bit too.

Tiercel glanced around him, his tiny claws unsheathed. The scary, toothy cat moved over him, and Tiercel stared up at him as he spoke.
"What're you doin with us?" he meowed, his tone a shade demanding. "We didn't do anything to you!"
But he remembered that hushed word, the one his sister uttered not long ago...a name...an incantation...a curse...Bane.

He whispered. "BoneClan?"

And the fear spilled through him, at last moving to clutch at his heart.

[/blockquote]

[Peregrine]

Well, at least the black tom, scary though he was, had set her down a lot more gently then the golden tom had Tiercel. She hadn’t expected for that to occur, seeing how she had done her best to wiggle free from his grasp – although it was evident that had certainly not been successful at all. Peregrine looked around the camp they were in, eyes going wide at the snaggletooth tom and huddling as close to her brother as she could, pressing her muzzle silently into his shoulder as her body quivered with fear.

Little Peregrine, her iron core was not yet so defined in bravery as her loudmouth brother’s was – the kit was somewhere close to in absolute shock. The suddenness of everything that had occurred while combined with the knowledge of who they were likely about to face – the kit didn’t know what to do.

Even now, freed from being carried by the tom, she couldn’t bring herself to run. Tiercel might not be able to keep up with her, and she wasn’t about to leave her brother behind and face this all alone. A breath. Another. Her eyes reopened, having closed sometime after she had curled into her brother, as a shadow fell over them.

It was the ragged looking old tom with a snaggletooth that jutted out ugly. Tiercel’s fear-scent rolled off him in waves, sending her own body quivering again as she moved, still close to him yet standing independently, to glare up at the tom – ears flattened tightly against her skull as the kind little kit tried to be strong for her sake. Her brother’s sake.

And there was no longer any fear in that piercing, unblinking falcon’s gaze.

[Tiercel]

this river is wild.

Tiercel felt his sister stiffen beside him.
He cast a glance her way, his ears bowing and falling back, his mismatched eyes wide and wild with fear.

And saw that Peregrine was not afraid.

She stood proud and tall, her own mismatched eyes bright and piercing, her ears back in defiance.
Tiercel looked at her and felt something in him shift. His kind, sweet sister. If Peregrine could be brave, so could he.

He fed off his sister's courage, drew strength from her.
His body quivered with fear, but in his cold heart a fire awoke. In a heartbeat it raged through him, burning away his terror, burying it beneath a blanket of ash. He cast away his fear and embraced the ferocity that was his birthright.

He straightened to stand shoulder to shoulder with Peregrine, the fur along his back bristling, his ears pressing forward in agression. His wide eyes flew narrow, settled into an expression of utmost fierceness.
His lips drew back, showing white teeth clenched in a snarl.

"Leave us alone," he hissed.

And together, the pair of them were invincible.

[/blockquote]

[Bane]

"Don't taunt our guests, Sharpfang..."

The voice came from within the den, and slowly following it came a similarly dark and ominous figure. He moved with a grace that bordered on threatening. As slowly his figure came into view, as did his eyes - one a bright green, the other an even brighter white. In the early morning light, his pupils were difficult to distinguish. But anyone could tell who he was; he expected even the kits, who had likely only heard of him in tales told to them by their mother, would recognise the pure black form of the BoneClan leader.

Bane stretched his forepaws out slowly, allowing his mouth to open wide in an appropriate yawn. Then slowly, one paw elegantly placed in front of the other, he made his way to sit but a tails-width away from the two young kits. Brother and sister, both huddled in a petrified circle. The male was a similar pitch-black to Bane, with mismatched eyes of blue and yellow. Bane observed this to being similar to Kestrel... it couldn't be, could it? The female was similar, but one eye was a bird-like grey instead. Bane couldn't help but notice the resemblance, and found himself smiling passionately at the confident and defiant way they both glared up at Sharpfang. The male in particular had a good set of vocals on him. Bane could teach them well, he was certain of it.

But for now, Bane turned his attention to his clanmates the were scattered around the petrified bundles. First, to Goldenblaze, Pripyat and Barbwire. The leader gave them a grateful nod of the head, signalling his approval of their work. And since no risingClan cats had yet come barging in, it seemed they had done a good job concealing themselves; that, and that their territory was well placed. Bane cast his gaze upon Barbwire and Pripyat, and nodded once more to signal their dismissal. He expected they would go and rest, for very shortly Bane would need them in full fitness once again.

Next, to Goldenblaze Bane cast a friendly gaze upon. It truly made the tom glow that his old friend had managed to do this. Their was light behind those eyes once more - Bane couldn't help but wonder what had changed, for surely it couldn't have just been the change of homes, and Bane's rather pathetic speech that had done it? Perhaps one day Bane would ask, but for now, there were more important matters.

"Meet me in my den in fifteen minutes. I expect a full report on all that you did and found."

The BoneClan leader gave a small smile, but just as soon as it turned up, had it gone. Now, time for the kits.

They looked petrified; for a moment Bane felt pity for them. He wanted to get closer, but knew that he would be met by vicious snarls and petty shouts from the tom.

"Please, there is no need to be afraid, young ones. No one here shall dare to harm you, unless they wish to feel my claws within their heart."

He gave a small chuckle, and smiled down upon the two kits with warmth.

"Tell me, is there anything you would like? Food, perhaps, or shelter? Anything you so desire, and I shall bring it to you. How's that sound?"

[/size][/blockquote]

[Tiercel]

satan, satan, lend me a dollar.

Pripyat gave a purr of satisfaction. Bane obviously appreciated their hard work!
The black tom stretched lazily, his blue eyes flitting across the scene before him one last time: two frightened kits, both with good, strong fighting spirits; his comrades standing by; their great leader in all his dark glory...oh, this was going to be fun.

But Bane had dismissed him, and Pripyat was never one to disobey. He turned and padded silently away, a wide grin flickering over his face as he did.

He was going to tell Spiderlilly all about it. Then...hm, maybe he'd take a nap.

[/blockquote]

this river is wild.

The world had turned inside-out. Somehow, the siblings had stumbled into a portal to some other, darker world, a world where up and down were inverted and a world where the sun was silver and threw down shadows instead of light--that was the only explenation. That, or perhaps they were dead.
Dead and damned.

Just like Bane, who Tiercel was very sure stood before them.

He was a large cat, black as sin and scarred, with one venemous green eye that marked the large black kit down to his very soul. The other eye was horrible and white, obviously blind.

This cat was the personification of all evil in the world.
He had heard stories: stories of rape and torture commited at this cat's orders, stories of hate and anger, stories of blood and battle. Stories of death.
His mother had told him that the only place for these cats was below ground.
His mother had told him that this cat was below ground.
Which meant that he was, too.

Oh no, please tell me I'm not dead! he wailed silently. He felt the fear again, cold pinpricks moving through his body. His tail fluffed with it.
But you aren't supposed to be here! His head echoed with the shout. I'm not a bad kit! Why are you here?

He tried to shake the thoughts away. Even if they were dead, this had to be some kind of mistake! They were only kits, and they were good kits, and there had to be some way out of this.

Tiercel bristled further, unsheathing his little claws. He tried to mask his fear with bravado, and did a fair job.
"No need to be afraid, huh? Why should we trust you! Why did you take us away if you didn't want to hurt us?" he spat.

He became very still at Bane's second comment, his face shifting to an expression that bordered on humor--albiet an angry, spiteful variety. "Anything we want?
How about mom? Can you bring us her?"

Yes, their mother would be able to get them out of here! She could get them out of anything. And she'd kill these cats, too!
Not that Tiercel actually expected this horrible cat to actually go through with it.

[/blockquote][/font]

[Peregrine]

If it weren’t already bad…it just got a million times worse. The little she-cat heard the cool, sinister voice before she saw its owner – a large scarred black tom with one green eye and a blind white eye. Even if she hadn’t grown up on stories about Bane and the atrocities that he had committed during his stay in the valley, she would have known immediately who he was.

The personification of evil was certainly an apt way to describe him, wasn’t it?

Strangely enough, the sight of Bane did little to shake the odd overwhelming calm that settled like downy feathers over young Peregrine. She, even in her silence, did not back down from her defiant posture even as she could feel her brother tremble…oh, how could this have happened to them? They were good kits. Sure, her brothers did get into trouble sometimes but never enough to warrant this, oh no.

Bane had spoken.

From a distance, in that nice little place she had found in her mind to buffer against the fear and the shock and all the overwhelming emotions that hovered there, right there, lingering and threatening to overcome…Peregrine had heard the vicious tom’s words but she barely blinked, that falcon’s stare watching his every move. “I’m not scared of you.” It was the first time the little she-cat had spoken since they had gotten into camp and, while her voice was still so soft, there was true passion burning it that echoed in her mismatched eyes.

Flicking her tail so that it grazed her brother’s floofed one, the pale grey and blue-grey marked she-cat edged closer to him, nodding her agreement to his loudly spoken words. Oh. She knew, just knew, that this monster before them would not go and get their mother.

Or, this thought did send prickles of fear through her; he would head their wish and bring them their mother…dead. Mother had bested this beast once though…and could do it again!

For a moment though, deep in the back of her mind, a more selfish desire tried to trickle forth – and Peregrine then looked from Bane to search the sky, as if seeking a sign of above. Or, more truthfully, the shape of a flying bird of prey – her namesake. Her most selfish want and desire, a peregrine companion to her like her mom had her kestrel-friend Brightgate before her birth.

And…he had said anything. right?

But that was her selfish desire alone, no one could know of it, and no one would ever know of that lone thought to cross her mind on this fateful night. Little Peregrine lowered her gaze to glance over at Tiercel before looking to Bane, her fierce eyes narrowed.

[Sharpfang .|. Felony]

<sub>Sharpfang jeered at the kits, revelling in the fear scent of the kits. It was clear they were terrified of this place. Even more terrified of him, Sharpfang.

And even more so, Bane. The devil himself.

Sharpfang bowed his head and stepped away, pacing like a caged dog a few tail-lengths circumferance of Bane, his tail twitching. He kept his keen gold eyes trained on the devil, and suddenly froze. Bane was offering them food... and shelter.. That's right Bane, make 'em comfortable! And then kill them when they are cozy!

But Goldenblaze could see what Bane was doing. The same thing Kestrel had done to him; taken his daughter and raised her, brainwashed her to become one of them. These were spawn of that Kestrel, that bitch... Still, he could see the pride in Bane's eyes, and he couldn't ask for anything more. It was almost wonder at what had changed. Maybe Goldenblaze would tell him, someday, of what had occurred. But he feared Bane's refusal.

He nodded briskly; he'd be there to report everything, not a minute after. But Bane was busy, and he'd see to Goldenblaze. He turned away with a flick of his golden-white tail and went to join his daughter. Upon being excused, Barbwire lay down with her jaws between crossed paws, watching with mild curiosity.

Her old mentor was so weird sometimes.</sub>

[Bane]

"Anything we want?
How about mom? Can you bring us her?"

Bane gave a small chuckle, impressed with the stubborn and aggressive facade that the young male put on. It was promising, and Bane was certain that he could easily manipulate that aggression into his fighting technique.

In perfect opposition, the young female was calm and silent. They complimented eachother nicely, and already Bane knew how best to train them so that they would work well as a duo.

“I’m not scared of you.”

The she-kit said defiantly, in a way that made Bane proud. The black tom slowly stretched his forepaws further out, lowering his belly until eventually he was lying down on the floor in front of them. This allowed his eyesight to be more in line with theirs, so that maybe they wouldn't feel so threatened. Similarly, he lowered his voice, into little less than a whisper. His low tones resonated through the floor, giving a calming quality to his words.

"Nor do I want you to be scared. I did not lie when I said I would not harm you. In fact, I wish for you to feel safe."

It was hard for the tom to make his eyes look calm and friendly, but he tried. The next task would be difficult.

"You are both strong, I can sense it. Do you really need your mother by your side? I think you are old enough to care for yourselves..."

"You see these cats surrounding you? They are the strongest, fastest, and bravest cats you are ever likely to meet. And here I offer you a chance to become one of them. You have the chance to be trained by the best, to become one of the best. All cats shall know your names..."

However, whether they chose to stay under BoneClan's numbers or not was another matter. Bane truly hoped he could persuade them to stay with his clan, but he was aware that he could never keep them here against their will. For now, he would train them, and he hoped that with their training they realised the advantages of living with BoneClan. For now, however, there were other more pressing matters...

"Speaking of which, what are your names?"

He smiled as kindly as he could upon them, observing their expressions carefully to try and better understand what they were thinking...

[/size][/blockquote]

[Tiercel]

this river is wild.

Tiercel's pelt prickled as the black tom brought his face to eye level. It took all of his self-control to now throw himself at Bane and try to claw his remaining eye from his face.
Leave us alone! he hissed silently. Take us home, you bastard!

He thought these things, bit did not say them aloud. At least, not yet.
Instead, he fixed Bane in his sharp mismatched gaze, so like his mother's. "Yeah, right," he snorted sarcastically. "Sending your lackeys to drag us out of our camp and carry us here is really the perfect way to say 'good intentions'."

Some part of Tiercel thrilled to the words--the kit felt that one had to be terrible gutsy to talk like that to Bane. He glanced over at Peregrine, hoping to catch her eye. There was pride in every line of his body.
And also anger. And also confusion.

The big kit lashed his tail, leaning as close to Bane as he dared. "We don't need our mother," he said. "But we ain't tough enough to take a buncha cats at once, 'n she is."
The young tom puffed up at Bane's next words. He declared, "That's a lie. If you were really the strongest, how come our Clan beat you in the War? If you were really tougher 'n RisingClan, you woulda killed mom when you had the chance." Yes, he had heard the story. Kestrel had never explicitly stated that she was the one who had killed Bane, but everyone else pretty much said so, and Tiercel believed it. Bane was dead and they were dead with him, but it wasn't about to stay that way.

But as he thought that, another idea crossed his mind. He peered closely at the black tom. He seemed very real, like the grass and mist around them. Maybe this wasn't a dead place. Maybe they were still alive.
Maybe Bane was, too.
But that was preposterous! Everyone had seen him die!
Then he came back, Tiercel thought, stifling a shiver. From the tales he had heard, this wouldn't be too far outside the dark tom's powers.
Okay, he amended. Not dead. None of us're dead. Just him, or at least he used to be. But someone can send him back, right?

He wasn't sure. But his train of thought was quickly put on hold.
"Our names?" Suspicion was strong in his voice.
He looked from Peregrine to Bane and back again. Finally, reluctantly, he meowed, "Tiercel. And this is my sister Peregrine."

[/blockquote]

[Peregrine]

Even as if sensing her brother’s true core desire, Peregrine moved a paw so that it lightly rested against Tiercel’s side, a silent attempt to curb such a thought. At least for now…she didn’t want something to happen to him in punishment for such an act and if these cats were even a quarter of the monsters they had been told they were, well… No, the she-cat didn’t want to even complete that thought. It wouldn’t be pretty.

Muffling a snort at her brother’s sharp retort back, and as usual comfortable to allow him to do the talking, Peregrine glanced over and caught her brother’s eye. Pride, he was proud, and she too was proud of him for speaking out towards Bane like that. There probably weren’t many adults who would have done the same. Her look in return to Bane was one of sharp suspicion – what was this tom, who by all rights should have been dead, was saying.

Trained? By Boneclanners?

Was this just a nightmare she was having, that she would wake up from sometime soon? It had to be. Instead, in few words she summed up what it was that her dear brother was saying, “You lost. And look where it got you.” The war had been over for some time now…and it had been won by those united forces of those good cats of the valley. Duskclan, in allegiance with Boneclan during those days, had sense returned to their territories...or so Peregrine had heard – as she’d never actually seen a Duskclan cat herself. And look at Boneclan, so far removed from their old home…and tethering on the brink of being wiped out should they be found to still exist.

Peregrine frowned as Tiercel ventured forth both her own name as well as his one, glancing at her brother but not saying anything more. What could be said, really? Bane was not going to allow them to leave, nor was he going to bring mother here. What option was left?

Play along, maybe, until they could get away? She didn’t know…she was just a little kit who knew so little about life as of yet.

[Sharpfang .|. Felony]

Where it got'us? Inquired Sharpfang with a dark chuckle, shaking his head. Why, lil'she-cat. You are mistaken.

Yer Clan, m'sure, told you teh great Kestrel kill'd Bane. Does he look dead to ya? We may have lost, but't got us where we wanted t'be. Teh Clans think'us dead, disb'nded. They dunno what we be plannin'. They dunno that we be alife and growin' even strong'r.

Dun you see the beauty of teh plan? He rasped, eyes shining in the light, in pure wonder. We could wreak havoc 'mung teh clans, and they dunno it's us! We're dead to 'em!

Pull teh rug out from beneat their feet, persay. He gave another dark chuckle, regarding the kits with a new eye, a new light. They both had spunk, Sharpfang would definitly give them that. And Bane could work wonders on such potential!

Wi'ch is why He said with a broken purr, tattered tail curling over his paws I would retink Bane's offer to join teh clan.
Join now, and ye'll be spoken wit a name of fear, a plague.
See wai, exactly, BoneClan did not die when all hope had fail'd us.

[Bane]

Hmm... this was tougher than previously imagined. Bane stood up and slowly wandered around the camp, not in a dominating way, but it helped him to think. He eventually sat down a fair distance away, nearer his den, and no longer looking at the two kits. Whilst Sharpfang spoke to them, Bane seemed to be staring at the floor intently.

What Sharpfang said was genius. Bane's ears pricked up as he heard his Deputy speak, and though unnoticeable he gave a small grin of approval.

Bane allowed a few seconds to pass, before he spoke. Fairly quite, and slow, but loud enough for all to hear.

"It's true. I can't exactly admit that I had planned it this way; obviously, I wanted the war won. But the situation it has landed us in is a far better one than I could have imagined."

"None of the clans know where we are. They think I am dead, and they believe the rest of us scattered as soon as they saw I was defeated. This gives us the perfect opportunity. Because our scent has faded and changed, we are unrecognisable, leaving us free to move through the clans unthreatened. Hence why my warriors were able to take you so easily."

Bane smiled, and lifted his head up slowly.

"You see, your mother is not as good as she believes herself to be. We made a pledge, me and your mother, vowing that we could live side by side in the Meadow with no threat from the other. I kept to this vow; none of my cats ever strayed across the RisingClan border, nor did they harm them. However, your mother broke this pledge. I don't know how she found out how to get to our camp - I can only assume it was that bird of hers - but in the night she came and took one of our kits."

"It was the weakest, and youngest of the litter, and could have died without it's mothers warmth and milk. But Kestrel took it away from it's natural family, potentially keeping it weak and feeble, even though it managed to survive. This, this breaking of our promise and the stealing of one of our own, was what started the war. The many cats that died on that day, some of them not even involved in the feud but that your mother somehow persuaded to fight for her... it could have all been avoided if your mother hadn't broken the pledge."

Bane paused once more, then slowly looked up at the kits.

"I understand this must be a bit of a shock - I doubt your mother would have truly told you the full details of the war. I must hear Goldenblaze's report - Sharpfang, show Tiercel and Peregrine where the freshkill is."

The leader turned around abruptly, jumping onto the small rock which indicated the underground entrance to his den, in order to signal to Goldenblaze that he was ready to hear the report. He wanted to know everything; from an indication of their numbers, to what their conditions were like. Any information was vital, since it would make further plans far easier to make.

[/size][/blockquote]

[Tiercel]

this river is wild.

Tiercel hopped forward, a wildfire whipped up in his blood by Bane's words. "Yeah, so?" he spat vehemently. "Mom also told us that BoneClan was I mean is a bunch'a killers and rapists, and you deserved what you got!"

His dark pelt was puffed up agressively, his medium-length fur bristling across both shoulders and down his back. His tail thrashed. "Yeah, I knew all'a that stuff, but mom never hurt that kit! She ain't no BoneClan killer! You're talking about our sister Soulless!"
Simply put, the little tom-kit was pissed. This uppity black leader was trash-talking his mother and his older pseudo-sister!
"She told us that BoneClanners are beneath promises 'n that you woulda broken your promise eventually! 'N I believe you, since you stole us, you buncha hippo-crates!"

He pronounced it like 'hippo-crayts', but it should be pretty obvious what he was getting at. Tiercel was working himself up more and more, his tiny claws scoring into the dirt beneath him as he paws anxiously at the ground.

And then Bane said the magic words, the only thing that could distract the young tom from his righteous rage: "Show Tiercel and Peregrine where the freshkill is."

He stopped. "Food?"

Hey, he'd been through a lot. His stomach was tight and rumbling with hunger.

[/blockquote]

[Peregrine]

And there went Tiercel, flared up into a mini-rage. Calmly the she-kit watched her brother, nodding her head a few times in agreement to his words before including, “Whatever you might think, Soulless is happy. You’re so wrapped up in thoughts of re-venge and such…did you ever think about that? She knows of everything, but sis is happy with the life she has now…why won’t you let it be at that?” While she didn’t like her mother being badmouthed by these evil, filthy cats – her own pride and anger was contained – shining forth through narrowed eyes. Even so, her words were as measured and quiet as before, more willing to point out a more obvious factor then get all pissed and huffy about words.

They might be kidnapped, but that’s all that was being fed to them – words. And words could only mean something if you allowed them to, could only prickle and hunt when one choose to set aside and let it.

Peregrine contemplated Bane’s words, while they meant nothing to her as of yet they still deserved to be consider, thought about, but she nearly snorted in amusement as her brother’s attention was captured by a more urgent matter [to a young cat’s eyes, at least]. Food! Her own belly grumbled a little in protest; it really had been a long stressful past few hours and, while it was foolish to accept this feeding as mere charity, they shouldn’t be stupid enough to allow it to pass by and grow weaker from hunger.

Frowning a bit at the fact that she was hungry too, especially in a time like this, the she-kit rose to her paws and looked between that dratted, ugly Sharpfang and her brother. Bane, she could see out of the corner of her vision, had left them in this mangy tom’s care for now…but at what cost? Her look towards the old cat was more critical now and she leaned close to her brother and hissed, “Careful Tier…they could’a poisoned the food or something.”

[Goldenblaze]

<sub>Goldenblaze had silently listened to the entire conversation, up until Bane had called him. He rose to his feet with an arch of his back, claws extending briefly before he trotted over, padding by the siblings just as they brought about their combacks.

He hadn't cared for either of them up until this point; alive or dead, as long as they were here, they were hurting the RisingClan leader. And that's what Goldenblaze wanted. But, at their words, he turned with a livid snarl, fur blazing around his tattered body. Sister? Pah, she was born here. She has some of the strongest blood in her, better than your pitiful excuse of lineage. Kestrel was a coward, enough as to break the pact. We had no intention of breaking the pact, your mother only assumed. None of those murders had anything to do with you; they brought reasons to their death. You listen to Nursery tales of us, but it's all lies if it's coming from the mouth of a RisingClan cat. That's all they are.

.... Soulless, she should have never landed in your paws. Kestrel took it from BoneClan, but even more.... His eyes darkened with pain. She took her from me. She took Soulless from her family. The cats that birthed her and raised her into kithood; Kestrel may claim Soulless to be her daughter, but more lies.

Kestrel assumed, and she made the biggest mistake of her life. She's paying for it, now. -Goldenblaze. Goldenblaze rounded on Sharpfang with a growl, and the tattered tom flicked his tail at Bane's den. With a growl, he straightened himself up before entering the den, eyes adjusting to find Bane neatly waiting.

He sat down in front of Bane, quietly gathering himself. He hadn't felt such fury, such feelings since the war, and it left only helpless pain in his eyes, emotions he dared not even show to himself. He was silent for another moment before he began.

RisingClan's numbers are thriving, but they've grown comfortable to the peacefullness. We entered through the back entrance, as Pripyat suggested. We waited until the Warriors had left the Nursery. Two she-cats. There were a small handful of kits in there... But one had noticed me. It took me a moment to realize she was blind.

We escaped as quick as possible; we took the youngest of the kits in there. My hopes were that they would be as young as Soulless when she was taken He spat in fury, looking down at his paws. That was my mistake; they appear to have a great sense of loyalty to their mother. My hopes it can be extinguished enough to make them into warriors for BoneClan's benefit.

I want Kestrel to suffer for what she has done He said quietly, forcing the fur on his shoulders to lay flat.

Meanwhile, Sharpfang looked at them with a wily, crooked smile. Res' assured, we 've bett'r things ta do with yeh than to pois'n yeh. Come, we've food He said to the tom, smiling slightly as the bright-eyed look came into his eye at the mention of food. Hopefully Goldenblaze had not ruined Bane's plan in losing his anger. Trying to cover for it, Sharpfang trotted towards the freskkill pile with a flick of his muddy tail. He trusted the kits to follow, and to not attempt to escape; BoneClan would be watching on high alert to ensure it. Still, he hooked his claw into a nearby mouse and tossed it to Tiercel, and another to Peregrine with a tired sigh as he dropped to his belly, watching them from the side of his eye.</sub>

[Bane]

Bane sat in silence as he listened to Goldenblaze's report, thinking carefully of ways to make these kits conform to their ways, and deciding if RisingClan's current situation was good or bad for them.

As Goldenblaze finished, the leader slowly nodded his agreement to the final statement made.

"She will. I shall make sure of it."

Bane stood up, taking a couple of paces forward before halting and turning his head around slightly to look at Goldenblaze.

"Thankyou, Goldenblaze. You are a good cat, and I'm glad to have you in my clan. Show Tiercel and Peregrine to a nice place for them to sleep. Tomorrow I shall spend some more time with them."

At that, the tom slowly moved away and out of camp, his intentions unclear but his posture didn't allow for questions.[/size]