The Spy's Return

[Deleted]

| Badger only, please. |


Drought yawned as he emerged from his den, enjoying the faint rays of sunlight on his pelt. It had been quite some time since he'd sent Badger out on a spying mission, so if the Elite didn't return today, he'd have to set out in search of him. Though it was unlikely that the grey cat would have been captured somehow, it was probably still possible.

The black-and-white leader sprang onto a low branch of his tree, then clawed his way higher in order to get a good view of the surrounding forest. Far in the distance, he could see the cliffs of RockClan. Was the spy still out there?

[Badger]

Badger didn't truly know why he enjoyed the art of spying. He hadn't done it as a kit, and had really only done it for his own personal reasons up until now. Something about being right under your enemy's nose without them knowing, however, made him absolutely giddy. He had finished up his spying in Rockclan the day before. He had found out quite the juicy bit of info, and had immediately began to sprint back to Deathclan, although now his pace was little more than a trot.

After a while he finally spotted his beacon; Drought's Tree. As he got closer he could see the black-and-white tom clawing his way up higher, probably looking for Badger himself, and he grinned as he stood at the base. "Oh mighty King!" He yowled up, swishing his tail playfully, "I have information from Rockclan!"

[Deleted]

Before he could even sit down on one of the branches, a familar voice drifted up to him from the ground. Drought grinned faintly; he shouldn't have doubted Badger. Out of all of the cats in DeathClan, he had been the most capable one for this particular job.

Not wasting time, the scar-faced tom leaped from branch to branch until he landed on the ground. "I was starting to think that you'd run into trouble, but you're back in one piece. So, what's the news?" The leader settled on a thick root, ears twitching as he awaited the spy's report.

[Badger]

Badger scoffed at Drought's words and flicked his tail tip at his leader's shoulder. "Me, run into trouble? Pffft. I'm a good little kitten, Drought." He purred, sniffing at some tansy that was beginning to sprout up at the base of a tree. Perhaps this year he'd give healing another go. Besides, now he had more allies to heal, especially Drought and Artemis.

Recollecting himself he turned back to Drought, still grinning away, as if he were high on catnip. "Oh, and did I forget to mention that I found what can only be described as our perfect source for battle while away in Rockclan? Because I did just that." He cooed, thinking back to what he had heard from the patrolling Rockclanners, and seen from the tops of their scarce, dead little trees.

He was whirling around, rubbing against the bark of trees, wrapping his tail round ferns and small twigs that had fallen from their tree parents. He hadn't been this overjoyed since Scarlet had abandoned Deathclan. He could practically feel his desire for battle growing. He paused again, then looked directly at Drought. "Go on, ask me what I found." He urged quickly, then went back to his frolicking.

[Deleted]

It was becoming obvious that Badger must have stumbled upon a truly juicy piece of information. The tabby actually looked as though he'd burst if he didn't receive a cue to continue. Raising a catlike eyebrow, he nevertheless gave a small laugh and spoke. "Alright, what did you find?" Drought questioned.

RockClan was the weakest of the four Clans, so perhaps something had caused them to become even more vulnerable than usual? Or maybe there was a traitor within their ranks who was willing to undermine the structure of the Clan. The possibilities were practically endless. The leader himself was starting to pick up Badger's thirst for battle. If there was an excuse for him to cause trouble and reinforce DeathClan's reputation, he would take the chance without hesitation.

[Badger]

Badger grinned and turned back to his companion, touching noses with the patched tom. "Drought. They got. A. New. Leader!" He purred, jumping back and arcing his back, flexing his claws the entire time. He had been dreaming of Drought's reaction to the news ever since he caught first wind of the new leader's name. He knew that any time a leader in the four Clans died, or at least stepped down, the Clan went into a series of chaotic events. Not always cataclysmic, but the grief of their lost leader, and the handling of the new leader and deputy always made their little heads spin.

He flicked his tail tip as he cocked his head to the right, waiting for his own new leader to react. Would Drought give him the command he had been waiting for since he left Rockclan? To gather the forces and to cross the rocky border between the forests of rogues and the oh-so-noble Rockclanners? Or would he simply shrug the news off?

[Deleted]

Drought had never seen Badger so excited, and he couldn't help but grin when he heard what had happened. "A new leader? That's perfect," the tom meowed gleefully. He could only imagine how vulnerable the RockClanners would be as they dealt with this massive change.

"We'll invade at moonhigh. For now, I want you to go and spread the news among the other DeathClanners so they're prepared." The black-and-white tom began to pad off into the undergrowth; he had preparations to make.