Warrior Cat Clans 2 (WCC2 aka Classic) is a roleplay site inspired by the Warrior series by Erin Hunter. Whether you are a fan of the books or new to the Warrior cats world, WCC2 offers a diverse environment with over a decade’s worth of lore for you - and your characters - to explore. Join us today and become a part of our ongoing story!
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A paw hooked around Sagebristle's leg as she exited her den, pulling it from beneath her and toppling her over. Phantomfox stood over her and shook his head. "You might have your name and title now, but none of that makes you a proper Loyal Guard if you're just going to let it blind you. Is this what Larkspur's training has reduced you to?" The deputy was once among his guard- as such, Phantomfox had no doubt in her prowess. He'd tested her applicability himself- but since her ascension, where she found herself suddenly in the lion's den, he'd watched her resolve begin to splinter. He'd posited those concerns to Aspenstar when she elected the she-cat to mentor their most talented prospects. Even now, with both Sagebristle and Moonblight entering into the fold of the leader's bodyguard, those same reservations still bubbled up.
"Come on now, we have work to do," he grunted, beckoning her after him as he turned and led her out of camp.
Sagebristle faceplanted into the dirt, then scrambled up in a hurry. "Rude," she muttered under her breath, though she didn't look too annoyed. That was mostly because she was still riding the high of her promotion. Still, she nipped Phantomfox on the flank when he turned around, and dodged his retaliation blow.
"Where are we going?" She asked, glancing around as she trotted beside him.
"You're just as much a nuisance as you were when I picked you up in the rain," he snapped, though it'd long become their unique way of being affectionate. Sagebristle wasn't his charity case and Phantomfox had never treated her as such, needling her with an insult whenever he felt she needed to be pushed. "We're going on patrol," he replied enigmatically, divulging nothing.
"And you're just as sullen and mysterious," she responded with a grin. Phantomfox was the only remnant left in Nightclan of her foster family, and while he hadn't treated her as gently as Rosethorn or Foxpaw... well, he hadn't been the one to run off without her, had he? She relaxed into a silence, since he didn't seem to be willing to talk about anything else, and walked along him on their 'patrol' until he decided he was ready to speak agian.
It wasn't until they had reached one of the borders that Phantomfox spoke again- the border Sagebristle was abandoned on. They weren't accompanied by the forest's nocturne tonight, the chill and a misting rain blanketing the world; there was a quiet magic in the emptiness. "It isn't often Aspenstar and I come to disagreements about NightClan or the guard," he began slowly. "I chose her as my replacement because we are of a like mind, her decisions were ones I could count on, and she's far better oriented in diplomacy than I am. However, we have come to a decision we cannot find a middle ground on. I'm here to test which one of us is right."
Sagebristle barely looked at the border- she was grown up and way past caring about that kind of stuff. Besides, she had a good life here now, so there was no reason for her throat to constrict like it was. Thankfully, Phantomfox spoke, distracting her from her thoughts.
"What do you disagree about? It's not me, right?" She asked, almost indignant at the thought. "You know better than anyone how suited I am to a guard position."
"There's no cat more qualified for it than you," Phantomfox agreed. "I'm aware that you and Aspenstar have discussed the conditions of your employment, so I won't bother reiterating. What I plan for you is an aptitude test- to see how truly loyal you are to this life you've indebted yourself to."
He began a slow, arching circle around her, silver eyes never leaving Sagebristle's tabby form. "If a fellow Loyal Guard member proved to be a risk to an operation, what would you do?"
Sagebristle released an exhale of relief, eyebrows raising at the mention of an aptitude test. What was it with everyone caring so much about her personality or morals or whatever? She was talented, and she was willing- why was that never enough for them? Still, it seemed an easy hoop to jump through.
"I would simply not allow them to be a risk." The russet she-cat watched him circling, her response as enigmatic as his question. "If you want a more specific answer, I'll need a more specific scenario."
"Very well then." A chuckle followed the acquiescence, fondness softening Phantomfox, and he turned to the border as if to contemplate a scenario rather than let her witness it. He was weighing his options- how much to hide, how much to show- when he seemed to decide; his best option here would be gauging Sagebristle's thoughts on his and Aspenstar's plans... gather an idea of her willingness and support through hypotheticals.
Turning back to her, the emotion was removed and replaced bbyPhantomfox's cold neutrality, the expression of a general. "You are selected to be a member of a patrol NightClan sends to MoonClan. Reports indicate their clan has been struggling in recent times, so Aspenstar reached out to their leader and came to an agreement for MoonClan to receive NightClan's aid, so long as our clan is permitted to take residence there. As you might expect, MoonClan... Shadow-warriors-" Or whatever weird rank they'd changed it to, "- are not pleased by this transaction and plan to revolt against their leader and us. It is absolutely crucial for NightClan to remain in control of the situation. How would you keep them in line... see that our... occupation is mutually beneficial?"
Loyalty was easy in the abstract. If he'd asked Sagebristle to die for the cause, she would've said she'd do it- but doing it was different than claiming you would. Little did she know that when this exact scenario unfolded later on she'd be shielding the enemy from her allies and disobeying orders to aid the Summerclan cats she'd pity.
"I'd teach them some obedience," Sagebristle said, faintly cocky but keeping her composure for the most part- this was her Captain, after all. "If their leader agreed to our presence, then the subordinates need to learn to fall in line. And besides, it's for their own good, right?"
"Right," he agreed as a smirk grew on his maw. Sagebristle's answer satisfied him, which he knew it would, but he didn't give her any indication of that. Still, that was only the first part of the test; there were still things Phantomfox needed to test, vulnerabilities he needed to illuminate so they could be eliminated. "And if the dissent was from a NightClan cat? What would you do if it was someone you loved?" Rosethorn and Foxpaw came to mind first, but he hoped Sagebristle felt a sufficiently betrayed by the two for leaving, and the next that floated through his thoughts was the very tom that made Sagebristle feel just a little more giddy, a little sillier. "What if Moonblight turned on NightClan?"
Sagebristle was silent for a long moment, trying to imagine it. A stranger was easy enough to dismiss as an easy casualty, but Moonblight? Her best friend? It was a foreign thought, and she tried her best to summon the same anger against him. But she just... couldn't. There was the verbiage, too... Moonblight turning on Nightclan. Not on Sagebristle.
Were they one and the same? Was her identity tied that closely to Nightclan, to the ideals she was supposed to be upholding? When the prospect of choosing between Moonblight and the rest of Nightclan was brought up, she fought it, but she knew what her final choice would be.
"I'd deliver him to Aspenstar to make a judgment call," she said, lying through her teeth. "I would subdue him so he wouldn't be a threat, but ultimately his punishment would not be my decision, as he's a Nightclan cat and answers to her."
