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Percy kissed the idea of comfort goodbye the moment the leaves turned. Though their magnificent orange had matched the warmth in her coat, she knew what the turning of the season meant: frost was not far off. Herbs would die. Prey would move, hibernating or otherwise migrating to warmer climates.

She and her sisters did not have wings, like the birds that traveled when the seasonal cycles promised cold. They had roots, like the herbs that perished when snow fell. And it was up to her to keep them flourishing even when the weather was foul.

And it was foul. She gave the snow beneath her paws a look like it had personally offended her. Still, she could not remain in the cabin all day, keeping herself warm when there was work to be done. They all needed to contribute, be that taking turns hunting, keeping watch in case a clan cat showed up, and making sure anyone who needed healing was tended to.

So, without a single complaint, she got to her paws when another came in from the cold to go keep watch over the cabin. It was bold of Foxglove to set up camp on clan grounds like this, but boldness was exactly what she wanted. She was itching for a fight, even if the chill tempered her spirits somewhat.

Positioning herself comfortably beside a brittle looking bush, Percy watched the land around them, contended by the rushing sound of the river.

The quiet did not last. With a scowl, she caught the scent of a clan cat nearby, and not the sort of scent she might have expected. This was RidgeClan - a scent she knew to hate. Her claws were unsheathed the moment he came into view, a splotch of pure darkness against the white of the snow.

How confident he looked. It pissed her off.

After a brief yowl to alert the rest of the cabin cats, Percy cut off his path, head held high. "Just what do we have here?" she asked, tail lashing once. "This area has been liberated from clan cats. Turn around unless you're looking for a fight."

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Even with the constant chill of winter, the cabin felt restless.

Foxglove felt it, both in himself and in his allies. As winter smothered the world in ice and snow, their fires only burned hotter, ready to strike in this sleepy season.

Acting now would be ideal. He knew this. Percy constantly reminded him of it, urging him to take advantage of the weakness that the cold season brought, to finally make their move to bite down on the throat of the Clans.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to. Even now, the mere thought of the Clans stoked the flames of his anger, but he continued to keep his plans simple. To focus on increasing their numbers, to build their strength and passion. This frustrated some of his allies, but he couldn’t exactly share that the advice to lay low was given by a Clan cat.

His uneasy alliance with Lotusfire had been kept from the others, even from Aster. While Foxglove viewed the partnership as a necessary evil, he couldn’t be sure his companions would view it the same way. It was his own burden to bear.

So far, though, Lotusfire had not failed him. After all, it was Lotusfire who had given him insight regarding Littlestar, on her strange behavior and weakened state. It was Lotusfire who had advised Foxglove on where to keep eyes out for her, regarding her history with RidgeClan.

It had also been Lotusfire who had told Foxglove to stay quiet regarding the confrontation, so they could weave whatever internal story they needed to pit Clan against Clan to give Foxglove's sect more opportunities.

And so Foxglove waited impatiently, left to temper his group just enough to prevent acting too soon, to mull over the new blood on his paws-

Percy's sharp yowl from outside caused the fur along his back to bristle as Foxglove bounded out of the cabin. Had the Clans suddenly decided to act? Had Lotusfire betrayed him? No sounds of an attack followed, though, and Foxglove slowed to a trot as he took in the scene before him.

A stranger, lacking the overwhelming stench of Clan from Foxglove’s distance. Not an invited barn cat, though, considering Percy’s immediate hostility. As he approached, the faint scent of Clan then reached his nose, and his claws dug into the snow beneath him as he hurried to close the distance. 

He stepped up beside Bluebell as he scanned the surroundings behind the stranger for any other approaching Clan cats. As he did so, he touched his tail to Bluebell's back to encourage the other to temper his taunts. 

With a glance at Percy, he then turned his full attention towards the newcomer. The RidgeClan scent was more obvious now that he was close, and Foxglove's eyes narrowed in distaste. “You're far from home, mountain cat. Why are you here?" 
 

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Percy was not alone in facing the intruder for long. Bluebell, younger, a little more impulsive than she, came to her side with a hiss. As much as she would love to get her claws in him, it was curious for a clan cat to come to them like this. PrairieClan already seemed to take the cabin as a loss, giving them near free-reign of the area. Still, if any warrior deserved her hatred, it was a RidgeClan warrior.

He might know her father. Which didn't bring her any closer to revealing his identity.

"Foxglove will decide what to do with him," Percy said, catching his scent on the breeze. Sure enough, he came up behind them, flanking Bluebell. 

"I'm not looking for a fight." Percy snorted. He may not be looking, but he'd certainly found one. Was he naive, or just so confident in his training as a warrior that he didn't mind approaching them alone? She had half a mind to prove to him why he should be a little more cautious outside his borders. "I'm looking for an alliance. Do I have the pleasure of speaking to Foxglove?"

...He wanted what? She made a face is disbelief, glancing again at Foxglove in hopes of finding shared distaste for whatever alliance this cat thought he could bring. An inside-man could maybe be useful, if they could trust him. But even if he proved reliable, why should any of his information prove useful?

And even if his relationship was useful... RidgeClan cats brought sorrow and blood on whatever they touched. Not worth the effort. Would Foxglove hold the same judgment?

"You want to see an end to the clans?" she asked, unconvinced. "How will you prove it? You can't have expected us to take you at your word."