WindClan & SunClan Border

The border between WindClan and SunClan.

Thornfur bounded towards border, his features stoic, always the air of caution. His eyes and ears were equally attentive as they monitored the surroundings, scanning for any sign of activity, whether it be hostile or not. Threats often don't present themselves freely. One had to keep their wits about them if they wanted to keep themselves and others safe. Embershard had gone on ahead and Thornfur could detect her presence further towards the border, but her's wasn't the only one he could sense. An uneasy feeling roiled in his gut as he tried to make sense of what he was hearing and smelling. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't distinguish the number of wolves present. The being(s) held no distinctive Clan scent (or at least not any known to him) which was quite the conundrum. It was strong enough to suggest that there were two bodies, but his ear had only picked up one rhythmic stride. Curious.
As he approached the border, his large paws thumping steadily on the ground, Embershard came into sight along with their mysterious company - two non-SunClan wolves. Thornfur's mind whirred - this was suspicious indeed. WindClan along with many others had suspected SunClan of foul play in past, but the accusation of Snowstar's assassination had been dismissed. However confident he was that SunClan was innocent of Snowstar's death, it remained to be said, were they guilty of harbouring a threat? We're these wolves even a threat at all? They hadn't made any hostile moves toward the WindClan patrol, but the mere look in their eyes and the way they held themselves gave Thornfur a great sense of unease.
The large brute obtained a defensive stance as he came to stand next to Embershard, who had wisely chosen to question the wolves politely rather than run them off immediately. Thornfur could not tell where they had originated from - they held the slight scent of SunClan which was likely due to them moving through their territory, but whether their presence was known to SunClan was unclear. They may or may not be trespassing on SunClan's land, but he sure as StarClan wasn't going to let them trespass on WindClan's territory. The Warrior Code dictated that all trespassing wolves should be challenged, but as long as these wolves opted to remain largely on the SunClan side of the border, Thornfur had no intention of behaving with hostility.
He cast a quick glance towards Embershard before swinging his head around to search for Larkstar. He would be interested to see what she thought of this predicament and how she acted to resolve it. His gaze did not linger on the horizon for long before he fixed it back onto the white furred pair, his mouth clamped shut but his gaze attentive and watchful.

An odd odor permeated the air. Larkstar frowned as she trotted, trying her best to distinguish the scent. "Two wolves...or maybe just one? Not from Sunclan.." The sounds heard were not in agreement with the smells. Larkstar could swear she detected two wolves with her snout, but she could only hear the pawsteps of one. In front of her, Embershard and Thornfur slowed, and Lark passed her two clanmates before coming to a halt.
"What in Starclan's name.." she muttered quietly, too soft for any other wolf to hear. Two wolves stood before her, identical in every aspect, as if they were clones. It was a bizarre sight and an even more bizarre smell. "They don't smell like loners, they almost smell like a clan. But there isn't any clan that smells like that." Larkstar was unsure of what to make of these freaks of nature, but their stare made her uncomfortable. She could sense Embershard and Thornfur felt the same, and the other warrior's more hostile words were a clear sign of that.
Larkstar took a few more steps forward, her fur fluffed out more and her head held high. "Greetings," she woofed coolly, her voice steady. Her tone wasn't hostile, but it wasn't exactly friendly either. "Do you two have any business with Windclan? If not then I suggest you be on your way." The she-wolf did not like the aura these two wolves had. She couldn't place her paw on it, but pair made her uneasy and restless.

Thornfur nodded inwardly as Larkstar adopted a similar approach as Embershard to the problem - approaching with polite caution. It seemed hardly reasonable to run the pair off just because they had a weird air about them. Giving them a chance to explain why they were here and then deciding whether they posed a threat or not was the most sensible approach.
As the pair rambled he assessed them a little more closely. Their coats were identical, as far as he could tell, and from what else he could distinguish he would hazard a guess that they were about the same age. Identical twins? That seemed likely. Although they spoke in a strange manner, the words that came out of their mouths seemed completely sane, and they were in fact correct (the border was indeed a neutral zone and they were not yet trespassing). However, that didn't stop Thornfur's hackles from raising as the pair of wolves circled them, nor from him puffing out his fur dramatically to make himself appear larger as a warning for them to back off. He didn't get the sense that the pair intended to behave with hostility, but the way they acted, as if of one mind, their sentences flowing into one another's, made Thornfur's skin prickle. Not much made him nervous like that which he did not understand, and these two were anything but straightforward.
"Where do you come from?" The male questioned, unable to see how such a question could harm. He was burning inside to solve the puzzle that these two presented, and knew that in order to do so he would need more of the pieces.

Listening to them speak was more bewildering then their strange appearance and scent. They spoke with such an outlandish manner of speech, starting and finishing each other's sentences. Larkstar wasn't sure what to make of them, and watched with narrowed eyes as they circled the trio, ending up at the same spot as before. They didn't seem to pose a threat, at least, if there was only two of them. Lark took another whiff of the air, making sure no other wolves were nearby, but there didn't appear to be any. "They're just messing with us, aren't they? But why?" Larkstar continued to watch the pair, her nose twitching as she tried to recognize their scent. It was unlike anything she had ever smelled. A part of her wanted to ask them right out directly, but she figured she wouldn't get an answer even if she tried. Thornfur spoke out asking them where they were from, though the she-wolf had a feeling they wouldn't answer to him either. However, they seemed to know about the clans, even referring to them as clan wolves. "Did they grow up in the clans and were kicked out? I don't recall ever seeing anyone with the likes of those two." The thought of their being an ancient fifth clan did not cross the she-wolf's mind. But she waited to hear how they would respond before saying anything.

preformed.

Larkstar was not surprised as they not so kindly evaded Thornfur's question. "Figures." The two seemed to enjoy the clan wolves' bewilderment, and Lark was starting to tire of their games. She stiffened when they then ordered her and Thornfur to answer their own questions. "Of all the gall!" It was one thing to dodge questions, it was another to order others to answers inquiries while not doing it yourself. The she-wolf felt her fur beginning to rise on her back, she narrowed her eyes and took a step forward. A while back the clans had had problems with loners joining their ranks only to end up betraying them. That was how Snowstar had been killed in the first place. These two wolves obviously had no nice intentions of being here, or they would have already made themselves clear. While they weren't openly hostile either, Lark still didn't like the way they tried to toy with the Windclan wolves.
"Only if you answer our questions will we answer yours," Larkstar replied flatly. While her tone was calm, there was an edge to it, and the loners could probably sense her distrust. "Where do you two come from?" She glanced between the two of them, meeting their gaze.

Larkstar listened to their reply, her stance becoming less hostile. "Skyclan? There were originally five clans of the forest?" The She-wolf visibly frowned, trying to make sense of their words. "No one had ever mentioned a fifth clan of the forest. Could this possibly be true?" Yet it would explain the two wolves' odd scent, the scent of a clan that was not a clan. "How far could they have possibly traveled? Were there other members of such a clan still around?" A lot of questions buzzed on the she-wolf's mind. While she still did not trust these two, knowing their background made her feel a tad more at ease. But only slightly.
Larkstar dipped her head as the two wolves asked her to answer their own questions. "Very well. The current fifth clan is Sunclan, they inhabit the mountains." She replied, calmly meeting their gaze. "Sunclan was created when wolves from different clans left to form their own." She didn't go into any great detail about who ran the clan or the disputes Windclan and Sunclan had been having. Larkstar then thought for a moment before adding. "As for my name, it's Larkstar. And these two warriors are Embershard and Thornfur. She nodded her head to each wolf individually, turning back to the pair. "What should we call you two?" She asked, hoping for a clear direct answer instead of one of their games. Nonetheless, she would put up with their dawdling, as her curiosity with this so called fifth clan was quite intriguing to her.

The cheek that these wolves had, evading his own question only to demand their own answers, made the male grit his teeth in frustration. This needn't have been a difficult interaction, but these wolves were intent on playing their game, running circles around the WindClan wolves like they were nothing more than playthings. Nevertheless, Thornfur listened intently as they gave into Larkstar's stubbornness and divulged some information, his brow creasing increasingly as they spoke. SkyClan? I've never heard of such a thing. Thornfur was skeptical at first that these wolves were telling the truth, but upon further reflection this new information began to make a little more sense. It would at least explain their unusual scents, and also the fact that their names - which they too eventually divulged - typically followed the format of traditional Clan names, even if they were a little bizarre. Thornfur's brow furrowed with increasing intensity as Larkstar proceed to reveal information about that state of the current Clans, not entirely sure that it was wise to share such information but having no real grounds to protest otherwise. Their responses were what rattled him most, though. The way their tones darkened and they requested that they keep their presence a secret from the SunClan wolves. He hoped that they merely wished to pass through undisturbed, but he knew that that was just wishful thinking. It was more likely that they had something a little more disruptive in mind.
Thornfur watched with wide eyes as Spacedust and Timescatter retreated, keeping his eyes keenly trained on them until they disappeared completely from sight. Even after the last trace of their bodies had shrunk into the bushes, he continued to listen until their footsteps had completely faded off into the distance. His mind whirred with a plethora of unpleasant thoughts. Maybe we should warn SunClan, he thought for a second before quickly dismissing the thought. SunClan could handle themselves against two wolves, no matter how creepy they were. WindClan didn't need to mother them, alerting them to every possible threat that might cross their path. Still, it was this talk of SkyClan that caused him the most grievance. More to the point, he couldn't help but wondering how many more of them were out there. Were they more likely to pose a considerable threat, not just to SunClan but to WindClan as well? Well, it'll be a while before I get a good night sleep again. Shaking his head Thornfur attempted to clear such thoughts from his mind. He could sit here and ponder all day, but the answers were never going to present themselves like this.
He cast an animated glance at both of his companions before heaving a great sigh and shrugging his shoulders. He'd been left a bit bewildered by that encounter. "Great. I guess we've got SkyClan to look out for now as well." He knew he was getting a bit ahead of himself with that statement - they had no proof that this other Clan was anything more than a fiction of the mysterious pair's imaginations - but he still didn't think that they should take their words lightly. Best to be on their guard for a little while until they were sure there was no trouble.

Hearing them speak their names was only another piece to the puzzle. "They do sound like clan names, even if they are strange." But were they their actual names? Lark didn't have any evidence not to believe them, but from the way they had behaved earlier it wouldn't surprise her either way. "Skyclan huh? I wonder what Honeybadger or Ashfrost would have to say about that." Not that she thought the two older wolves were keeping secrets, but perhaps there could be a clue or some sort of legend or old story, something that could give evidence to this ancient clan.
Larkstar watched as the two wolves disappeared, narrowing her eyes. "I wonder if they'll try and join Sunclan. Though I can't imagine Riverstar allowing such disturbing wolves in his clan." Whichever the case, they were out of her hair now. She turned back to her clanmates, hearing Thornfur's comment and sighing. "Whatever this Skyclan is, I doubt that they're close by. But you're right, we do want to keep our guard just in case." Truthfully, there was little proof that this so called Skyclan even existed, but the twins' words were chilling at the least.
The She-wolf looked at the Sunclan forest that lay ahead of them, sniffing the air to make sure the two wolves had left. She then marked the border, more skittish then usual. Waiting for a little longer to make sure the two wolves weren't going to make a reappearance, she then turned to her clanmates. "Why don't we check on the Riverclan border? I doubt those two will come back anytime soon." She blinked before adding, "Er, we'll have to let our warriors know about these strange wolves, so that they can keep an eye out." Larkstar then turned away, beginning to pad towards the other side of their territory.

~RC/WC Border~

Thornfur followed Larkstar's lead, marking the border and doing so a little more thoroughly than might normally have been necessary. His whole body remained alert and attentive as he moved along, still feeling watched despite the lack of other wolves present. The suggestion to cover the RiverClan border settled well with Thornfur - he was far too on edge to merely return to camp now. Hopefully he would find some way to release some of his skittish energy at the new border, or at least during the journey on the way back to camp. Thornfur thought that giving a report to the Clan might be helpful, and might at least encourage others to keep vigilant, but he didn't think that Timescatter or Spacedust would pose much of a threat in the future. Still, Honeybadger or Ashfrost might have something to say about this mysterious SkyClan. But that would have to wait. He followed Larkstar and Embershard to the RiverClan and WinClan border, a pensive, glazed look shadowing his eyes as he trotted off.

~WindClan and RiverClan border~