Roseshade had already left the leader and Robinring far behind, leaving camp to get fresh air into her lungs and calm her frayed nerves believing that the matter had been settled. The reoccurring nightmare she had since coming to WinterClan, fresh on her mind, as she tried to push it away.

Roseshade sat on the edge of the icy river, only in this nightmare she was nothing more than a kit. She had been playing with a brightly colored red rose in the snow, when she batted it to hard sending into into the river. At first the rose floated along the surface, but as the water sloshed onto the delicate flower it was dragged downwards sinking into the dark depths below the surface. The currents slammed it from stone to ice, ripping it apart piece by until it was hardly recognizable, but then it was no longer the rose that was fighting against the river but her. The all to painful sensation of icy water flooding into her lungs as she gasped for air, the impact of being slammed into boulders, the desperation of fighting her way to the surface only to meet with a solid sheet of ice. Slamming her paws upwards as the faces of her family stared down a her from up above, as ghostly white paws gripped her pelt with their claws and dragged her downwards. Down, and down, until she could see nothing. Feel nothing.

Roseshade shook her head, forcing herself to take several deep breathes having not realized that she had been holding it. It was just a nightmare, at least that what she had always believe. She had almost drowned as a kit, so it was only natural for one's mind to make up such things while you were sleeping. Only information she had gathered since then made it all the more frightening. How the river that ran through the territory had once been called the swallowing river, known for taking the lives of those that were unfortunate enough to fall into it. The ghostly paws she thought she had imagined, reminiscent of the white cats that WinterClan used to believe in so strongly. Of course saying so in recent times would be considered blasphemy, so she had kept her nightmares a closely guarded secret only speaking of it with her sister. 

"Then she can and come and tell me the decision herself" she replied coldly, and perhaps a bit unfairly to the tom that had only been trying to help. It wasn't that she didn't recognize that, but simply her delaying the inevitable while she thought over what to do next. She turned away from Rowanstrike careful to compose herself before he could see the expression on her face "I will not participate in this challenge"

Robinring bowed his head in gratitude. Wintrystar's decisiveness impressed him and it only made him respect her further.

Rowanstrike didn't answer as he watched her walk away. He had no words of condolences and nothing he could give to help her. The tom had already tried offering himself in her place, a representative, but that had bene struck down fairly quickly. So, with nothing else to do but relay her message, the tom began his trek back to where he'd left the other two. Once there, he told them what Roseshade had decided and waited their words.

Cleaver racer

Wintrystar nodded, motioning for the tom to lead the way as she joined the parade of cats who'd come to watch. She was a mere spectator now, her decisions made. Only one thing would change her mind at this point and she wasn't sure the Gods would interfere in something as simple as the challenges of the day.

"Yes" she replied with an air of confidence that no cat in her position had the right to hold "I will accept your challenge" though she had placed distance between herself and the water's edge. Refusing to even look down into it's depths "I am confident that there is no stone in the bottom of that river, so I have nothing to fear from accepting. You can dive in the water until your heart is content, but you won't be able to find it. For even if the stone was real, the swift waters of that water swallow the things that enter into it into it's depths or sweep them downstream" 

She paused allowing her words to sink "If your intentions are pure and what you have said is true, then you now have your chance to prove that my doubts have been unfounded. You may enter into the water and retrieve the stone before the sun sets and I will honor your marriage request, but should you fail to retrieve it in time..." her lip curled up slightly "Then you will admit to your treachery before the clan, and never speak of marriage to me or any other she-cat again"

Robinring did not answer her; instead, he turned to Brindlemist with interest. Far more open and energetic than her sister, he had not seen most of her own challenge, but now he considered he should have attended. She was easier to read than Roseshade, and she may hold some useful insight to her strange behavior.

“I appreciate the defense,” he responded, dipping his head to her, “but I’ve offered a difficult challenge, it’s only her right to do the same.” His critical eyes turned to Roseshade, studying her. She had given in, but why? He tracked through her words slowly until he identified the catch.

“I can dive in, but you won’t.” That was what he had missed. Robinring’s eyes narrowed.

His pale blue gaze held hers as he reflected on the offer in silence. His eyes gave nothing away, only the silent ticking of cogs behind his eyes, a quiet whirring of machinery as he debated his options. Robinring wanted more from her. She had disappointed him and she continued to let him down, to refuse his challenge, and he wanted to see her take on this challenge.

But in the end, he had other priorities to consider. He would see her truth in time.

His eyes shifted sideways to the leader and he lifted his head over Roseshade's to look at Wintrystar questioningly.

"I'm willing to accept this change to the challenge," he relented, "unless you believe it goes against the spirit of these challenges. It is not a challenge if I am the only one fighting."

Robinring did not smile, but he was pleased with her response. Wintrystar continued to impress him.

"I believe your suggestion is more sensible," he concluded, easier now that he had her on his side, "and that is the options I offer Roseshade."