Smokedawn sat, watching the swampy surroundings around the camp. His pelt prickled with tension, his Leader's rattling breath echoing in his ears from behind him, sat outside the opening in the tree.
The sun hung low in the sky, glittering on the wet swamp mud, setting to the southwest, filtered through the distant tall branches of the Flurry territory, the Gentle camp outlined against the wet swampy ground. Maybe they'll take his threats jokingly . . Maybe they won't attack first . . .
Smokedawn was watching to the north, toward the Honey territory, the lingering sun warming his pelt lightly, when he heard a cat yowl, "Oddstar!" which he recognized as Goldstar. He launched himself across the camp to meet the Gentle cats. Goldstar stood at the foot of the root floor of the camp, flanked by Doveleaf and a black and white she-cat whose fur resembled cobwebs.
"G-Goldstar! Uh . . Y-you'd like to meet with Oddstar, yes?"
"Obviously." Goldstar grumbled, the fur on her shoulders raised
Smokedawn took a low breath, the cold evening air cooling his throbbing throat and lungs. I can keep this peaceful. Definitely. he thought, a creeping sense of helplessness growing deep in his stomach, as he turned and lead the cats to his leader, whose breath still rattled noticeably.
"Oddstar." Goldstar began, her shoulder fur flattening,
Oddstar quickly rose to his paws, quickly silencing his breath. "Goldstar." he croaked out, his voice sounding sick and low for only just a moment. "Come to fight me, have you?"
Doveleaf visibly held back a hiss, Goldstar waving her tail over her Steelclaw's shoulders, "No, no. We came to further discuss this. We don't want a fight . . For your sake." Goldstar's aggression flittered through her diplomatic front.
The black she-cat, youngest of the three, hissed "You should watch your tongue, Flurry cat! You're on our old camp, you don't even have an Herbclaw!"
Smokedawn's fur bristled, he stood, to put himself between his leader and the rowdy young she-cat, but was cut off.
Oddstar slammed his heavy paw hard against the she-cat's jaw, claws unsheathed, red hot blood splashing onto the root floor.
Smokedawn's stomach twisted.
Doveleaf hissed, and launched herself at the old tom, bowling him over, sinking her teeth into his shoulders. They rolled, a hissing ball of fur and claws, blood stickying the floor.
Smokedawn's pelt prickled, and he launched himself into the pile, grabbing Doveleaf by the pelt and hauling her off of his leader. She whipped around and ran claws down his forehead, sticky blood clouding his vision.
He hissed, and launched himself forward, his hard head slamming against her chest, he could hear her breath forced out as he bowled her back toward her leader.
"Fur-brains!" the rival Steelclaw hissed, as Smokedawn wiped his face on his own pelt, clearing the blood from his eyes.
"Wait, wait! This doesn't need to end in blood!" Smokedawn yowled. "Please, i'll talk to Oddstar, give us a few more days and we can try to decide on something we'll both agree on by then!"
Goldstar's gaze met Smokedawn's, "Fine. Two days." she hissed, her whiskers twitching, before she stood and turned, drawing her tail over her cats' shoulders to lead the two angry cats away from the camp.
Smokedawn turned back to Oddstar, who was lying, sticky red fluid flattening his pelt, his breath rattling as he panted, he slowly looked at Smokedawn, anger flooding his gaze.
"I don't have two days." Oddstar growled after a moment's pause. "I'm sick. I'm dying. I'm not leaving this group in this state before I die. We're going to their camp now."
Smokedawn's pelt prickled, he stared in uncontained shock, "D-Dying? . . W-wait, Oddstar, no! We can't attack them!"
Oddstar hissed, then meowed "We're not attacking. I'm in no state to fight, and it's obvious you don't want to. All I can do now is get more cats to join our group. So that's what we're going to do. We're going to see if any cats decide to join us. Maybe Goldstar will give us more territory when she thinks we're not all doomed."
Smokedawn gulped, breath catching in his throat, before he meowed, "O-Okay, Oddstar. I can do that."