TONGUES (DEERNOSE PLOT P3)

Wolftrot stood abruptly when Deernose spoke and he moved in front of Ashpaw. His stance was clearly a protective one, as his fur was beginning to bristle and his ears were laid flat on his head.
Through the protective aggression, he wondered as well. Where is Falconstar?

Falconstar padded out of his den and made his way towards the gathered mass of cats, passing easily through them until he was standing in front of Deernose, looking around before beginning. "Deernose, you stand accused of attacking and attempting to kill one of your own clanmates. Do you have any final words to say before I make my final decision?" He didn't want to have to kill one of his own clanmates. Far from it, but this may be taken out of his paws.

Now as he thought about it, Icepaw wouldn't mind seeing this elder die. "Whats one more crazy clan member gone" he thought to himself and gave a little hiss toward the elder. "Whoa! What did I just say!" he said to himself. "This clan member might be crazy but why would I think of not caring if he died?" Icepaw was thrown back by the way he just thought of his clan mate. "I would never think something like that... geez, what going on with me."

Wolftrot sat back down beside Ashpaw, curling his tail back around her as Falconstar made his way past him and towards Deernose. A decision would be made as to what the clan would do. As much as the elder's words angered him, he did not want to see him go violently.

Cobaltfire did not protest as Icepaw pulled away from her. She nodded and turned to the situation at hand.

Icepaw tried to regain his train of thought and calm himself down. He soon saw Falconstar calmly walked past him. He turned to his mentor to ask a question. "Do you think Falconstar will let us watch him die? Even if it's a boring death with Death Berries?" he asked with a sneer and flicker of cruel mischief in his tone.

Cobaltfire didn't quite agree with his tone and train of thought. Nevertheless she replied seriously and quietly, "Falconstar isn't cruel. He'll most likely let Deernose go through deathberries. Also, death by deathberry is no pretty thing. I've seen cats die by just a few of those tiny scarlet berries. It's not very often silent or still. Mostly its thrashing and fighting to breathe, life fading as the poison takes its hold."

Lightpaw looked anxiously at Falconstar. Wold Deernose have something to say? And if he did, would it be something disrespectful about his clanmates, or perhaps an apology? He shook his head. It probably wouldn't be an apology, not after lashing out at a young apprentice like he did. He was eager to have a suitable punishment plaeced on the elder; he could have killed somebody, and StarClan knows they needed all of their warriors. His white ear flicked as Icepaw's words reached him. Lightpaw agreed, to a minor extent. He wanted death for the elder, but he didn't consider deathberries to be... boring. No death should be considered boring, but tragic instead. WindClan would be losing a cat, if this trial went the way it was expected to. It was somewhat disturbing, but Lightpaw shook his head clear and watched Deernose closely, his blue eyes burning into the elder's ragged pelt.

"yeah, I guess your right. Sorry for saying it would be boring." he apologized to his mentor. "I don't know what's gotten into me lately..."

"It's okay. Sometimes aggression can change the friendliest cat into one you'd fear." Cobaltfire replied.

"Ya...." Icepaw said, suddenly staring off into the empty sky. Daydreaming about running through the Moore... Lost in thought...

Raising his head to make eye contact with Falconstar, the doomed cat growled out, “I am not afraid.” Deernose was lying, of course. The warrior would be scared stiff, if he did feel truly connected to what was happening right then. He sat straight, bones freaking in protest, ready to take his sentence.

Falconstar shook his head with a soft sigh. There wasn't much of a choice. "Deernose, it's clear that you did attack one of your clanmates, with the intention of causing severe harm, even death. I'm afraid I can't allow you to continue to live here after such an act." He stepped forward, right in front of Deernose, and gestured to the medicine den. "I don't want this to be difficult, or a spectacle. Please come with me to the medicine den. No one is to follow," he added emphasis as he looked around at his clanmates. Deernose was still a WindClan cat, and a venerated elder. There was no reason for him to take a life-ending punishment with every eye upon him.

Icepaw gave a soft sigh of disappointment. He wanted to see what death by death berries looked like even if it meant watching a crazed elder die. But he knew that some of the cats here wouldn't be able to take the horrid sight.

Ashpaw sighed in relief. She was glad that no one would be killing the insane elder. She pressed closer to Wolftrot.

Lightpaw dipped his head in acknowledgment of Falconstar's order not to follow. While Deernose's punishment wasn't directly stated, the apprentice knew well enough that he would not be walking back out of that den. But what if he resists? Lightpaw didn't know if the elder would resist or not, but he knew that it would end messily if he wound up attacking another clanmate.