Hawkstar entered ShadowClan camp briskly, with Ospreyshadow treading so closely behind them that their steps missed brushing one another by inches. Thing time Ospreyshadow was noticeably more cowed, sticking close to his kin and Leader and not making any eye contact. Not that he needed to do so much as breathe to ruffle pelts in the camp. But after the talk they’d had before departing, he ought to be on his best behavior, or so Hawkstar hoped. He’d seen how distraught Ospreyshadow truly was that his tactlessness had resulted in such a spiral of violence and death. But Hawkstar supposed it was easier for him to empathize with his grandson. He knew of his troubles with communicating well enough to see past the bluntness with which he spoke.
They made quick progress to Juncostar’s den, escaping with just a few stray hisses and looks. The scent of Juncostar washed over Hawkstar when they padded inside, causing a slight swooping sensation in his belly. He wrote it off as nerves. After all, if today didn’t go well would they be forced to fight again? Bloodying each other until nothing was left? He decided not to even go there.
“Greetings Juncostar.” He dipped his head respectfully and Ospreyshadow followed suit, but remained himself silent.
“I suppose we’ve got to figure out….how best to compromise.” Hawkstar grunted, shifting uneasily. “I’ve gone over and over it in my head. In the past, Clans have always awarded the litter to one or the other. I’ve never heard of Clans trying to share members– after all, conflict rears its ugly head eventually. And a Warrior must pledge themselves only to one Clan. Being half-raised in another would just make them torn, I would imagine.” He shook his head wearily.
“I don’t know, Juncostar, what are you thinking?”
Squirrelkit
Shadowclan Kitten
His blue eyes widened slightly at Mappledawn, watching his mother lunging at Ospreyshadow. All the young kit wanted was for this conflict to be over, for his siblings to stay together and be raised happily. There wasn’t no need for all this fighting, especially when it appeared all four kits wanted to stay together. It was almost inhumane, separating littermates because of clan traditions and not because of their mistakes.. But their parents’
“Don’t separate us!” Squirrelkit gasped, running towards his brother. “We don’t want to be apart, this isn’t fair!” The ginger kit wailed, tears coming down from his face. He had been raised with his three other siblings, but now because of the clans.. He would only be raised with one now. “We won’t be together, because of our parents' mistakes? Because the rules say so?” Squirrelkit questioned, the little kit was certainly wise for his age.
Mapledawn
Shadowclan Queen
In the moment she had left the kits with Adderfang, Mapledawn had felt wrong. Like a sick sense of dread loomed at the corners of her mind, threatening to take over. And as she padded back into the camp, having gone just to make dirt, her eyes met the skulking form of the tom who seemed determined to take her kits from her. Rage pulsed in every whisker, her claws slid out and gripped at the ground. Not only had he had the nerve to come back, but Hawkstar was backing him. Thunderclan were dead to her. That much she knew. Instantly, her eyes flew to the kits. Adderfang was hurrying after Lightkit, Acornkit trailing behind him. Mapledawn bounded over, her stocky frame moving as quickly as any Windclan cat.
"Go back to Owlkit and Squirrelkit." She growled at the young tom, "Bring them here." She would have to apologise to him later, with how he scampered away with his ears flattened. Mapledawn felt herself tense as Lightkit so boldly padded into Juncostar's den, and her declaration sent chills to her very core. In an instant, she rounded on Ospreyshadow as Acornkit squeezed into the den behind her.
"How DARE you?!" The queen spat, her voice like venom, caustic and cruel. "What nonsense have you filled these kits heads with?" Her paw shifted Lightkit away from him, and she bunched up her muscles.
"You barge into our camp, into our NURSERY, and think you have a right to claim kits that you never even wanted to begin with?! They are loved and cared for here, and you want to split them up and fight over them like dogs because suddenly you wish to be there for them?!" Mapledawn's face contorted with her rage, her every word sending sharp stabs at Ospreyshadow.
"Where in Starclan's name were you as Nightsong died giving birth to them, you no-good excuse for a tom?!" Finally, rage took over. Mapledawn, before any cat could stop her, flung herself at Ospreyshadow, sinking her teeth into his shoulder as her hindlegs churned against his side.
Eyes burning with vitriol and hatted, she stared directly into his eyes with her own wild stare. She retracted from biting his shoulder, spatters of blood dripping from her teeth.
"I will die to protect these kits before I let you have even one of them!"
Acornkit
Shadowclan Kit
Acornkit had arrived just in time to hear his sister declare she would go with Ospreyshadow. The kit fluffed out his pelt in alarm, running to his sister.
"You can't!" He wailed. "You can't go! We have to stay here!" The little tom threw himself at Lightkit, sobbing into her fur, barely even responding to the yelled words until he heard his mother make a sound of rage he never wanted to hear again.
"Stop!" He sobbed, fear-scent dripping from him. "Stop it, mama!"
Hawkstar nodded gravely, reluctance emanating from every pore on his body. Ospreyshadow remained silent, though it was with some apparent difficulty. Thank goodness for small miracles, the ThunderClan Leader thought to himself.
“In truth I’d walk away at this point, were it not for what we’d lost getting here.” He pulled a face, remembering only too vividly the blood spilled over the matter. His own was of no account, he’d recovered well enough. But hearts were forever stilled by the actions he’d taken as a Leader. And he knew better than to forget that so easily.
“Unfortunately I was not alone in my assertions, many in ThunderClan still feel that we have a valid claim to the kits. The sentiment being that the closest living relative is the logical choice. I’m reluctant to do a turnaround on my words. Not for fear of revolution– though that would be unfortunate yes, but fear that Warriors will once again take matters into their own paws. We may have a battle we didn’t sanction happening right under our noses!” He huffed exasperatedly, stamping his paws on the musky earth.
And so it went, the discussion became circular and agonizing. Hawkstar himself was growing impatient despite his best efforts. He knew no new information had come forward, but he’d still held out hope that they’d find an avenue to explore. Yet the situation remained unchanged. Sharing was off the table, as if any Clan could make that work. Yet neither side yielded.
“Maybe fighting is the only way.” Hawkstar growled at one point, angry more at the situation than those present. Before another word could be spoken, a skinny pale-tabby kitten strode into the den. She wasn’t more than a few moons of age, but held herself firmly nonetheless. It took a minute for Hawkstar to recognize her as one of the kittens in question. He’d never actually glimpsed them himself. Gods she looks so much like Lilypool.
“Please, no more fighting!” She pleaded, her eyes rounded. “What if some of us go with our father? I’ll go. Maybe one of the others too? There’s four of us. That way everyone gets what they want, and no one else dies.” Silence hung in the air after she spoke. Hawkstar, for his part, was still somewhat disarmed by how maturely she spoke and held herself.
“Don’t be silly.” Hawkstar cringed, having recovered. He hated that a kitten so young even knew what death truly was. Had they become so inept that iy had come to this?
“We wouldn’t separate you–”
“Well what do you plan on, then?” Ospreyshadow spoke up for a change, his russet-and-beige spotted fur bristling slightly. “We’ve been going in circles for an hour. Both sides want the kits, we can’t share, so that leaves fighting more unless we go with Lightkit’s idea.”
Lightkit, for her part, beamed at Ospreyshadow.
This is sick. It shouldn't be their decision, they’re only children. Hawkstar hung his head in resignation. He didn’t want to agree to this, or be a part of it at all. Yet neither could he say it was the worst idea they’d heard so far.
“I know it seems cruel but they’re young, kits can adapt amazingly. I think it’s crueler to wage endless bloodshed over them, don’t you think?” Ospreyshadow turned to Juncostar.
Juncostar
shadowclan leader
(he/him)
Juncostar stood at the entrance of his den as he awaited the arrival of Hawkstar and Ospreyshadow. He would've rather been inside the den while he waited, out of the cold, but he knew he needed to be there to try and keep the peace if any-cat decided to pick a fight. He wouldn't put it past the young ThunderClanner to come in heated once more, making this all more difficult than it already had been. The stupid tom had started all this in the first place, and this all had led Juncostar to kill his best friend. He didn't think he'd ever forgive Ospreyshadow after the mess he'd made.
He was smugly satisfied, however, at the sight of the pair when they entered the camp. Ospreyshadow's head was down, and he didn't snap back at the taunts and hisses thrown his way. He turned, slipping into his den to wait for them. When the two had entered the den, Juncostar felt almost giddy at the sight of Hawkstar. He smiled sweetly at the tom, before turning suddenly-cold eyes on his grandson. "He's lucky we're gonna compromise at all," he huffed in response to the other leader's explanation. "If he wasn't your grandson, I never would'a agreed to talk it over at all," he admitted, turning his eyes back to Hawkstar.
"I can't think of anything, honestly," he confessed, "It wouldn't make sense to share them; and these are my grandnieces and -nephews, so I don't really wanna just send 'em to ThunderClan. But I guess that's why we're here to talk about it, huh?"