[center][h2][b][i][color=8EBDC1] Stonefall: WillowClan Camp[/color][/i][/b][/h2][/center]
[center][b]Interacting with:[/b] [@savannahssu] [/center]

Stonefall listened to Fernstar intently, a mix of shame at his self-doubt and pride in his leader welling up in his heart. Her comforting tail-touch on his flank went farther than he would have anticipated – the fact that his Clan’s brilliant, calm, fiery leader believed in him. Fernstar believed in him. 

And she needed him to believe in himself too. 

Before he could answer, though, before he could apologize for letting her down Fernstar stood to meet the rogues and Stonefall’s mind snapped into protective mode. He stood and followed her, opting to stay standing on all fours while the other cats sat. He stood next to Fernstar, tail puffed oh so slightly, reminding these rogues that while they were in this camp and talking to Fernstar, they wouldn’t so much as try to lay a claw on her without facing retribution from him. Every sense of self-doubt and concern melted away leaving Stonefall at his strongest, light blue eyes glinting like ice as he stared down first one, then the second and then the third cat, one by one. 

They explained their stories, each individually, and Stonefall didn’t move one inch. He listened, stock-still, emanating strength and power without even realizing that’s what he was doing. The wounds seemed real enough, and Stonefall knew they had some herbs to spare and at the very least these rogues weren’t trying to join their Clan. 

Before either he or Fernstar could speak, Frogkit bounced up, and Stonefall wanted to curse Blackpelt  for letting the young kit approach these unknown cats. Of course the medicine cat must have had his reasons, but Stonefall’s instincts were to keep the young safe above all else – not to have them confront the potentially dangerous loners [i]right up in their faces.[/i]

[color=8EBDC1][b]“Frogkit,”[/b][/color] he meowed softly, his normally calm and steady tone edging into frustration. [color=8EBDC1][b]“Thank you. Now return to the Medicine Cat Den,”[/b][/color] he finished, with no room for argument in his voice. 

He turned his head just slightly to glance at Fernstar, trying to gauge what she was thinking, not wanting to give away how uncomfortable all of this made him to the loners themselves. But he wanted them [i]gone.[/i] Leaf-bare was already stripping them of precious resources and while it seemed that Blackpelt deemed them to have enough herbs to share, Stonefall knew they wouldn’t be able to sustain it. They’d just gotten Fernstar her nine lives and were just starting to feel stronger as a Clan – they didn’t need more drama than they could handle. Let these cats go make their own camp. 

[color=8EBDC1][b]“I am sorry you’ve been through such hardship,”[/b][/color] he meowed, choosing his words carefully, body language still just on this edge of hostile. [color=8EBDC1][b]“Take these herbs with you to your new camp as a gesture of our goodwill.”[/b][/color]