Discraceful Deception [open for all WindClan]

Mottlepaw had remained still and resolute until Smokepelt started to speak, revealing the truth behind Lionfur. The moment the word traitor was in the air, Mottlepaw's ears flashed back on his head as his gaze shifted down to the still body of the once proud warrior as the deputy went on and on about the actions. Why? Why was there so many traitors? And the fact that he had taken a life from Ashstar, a noble cat, in cold blood? A sharp hiss escaped the spotted apprentice as his claws sank into the icy ground. His eyes narrowed as his tail lashed behind him, anger rising up in him. He couldn't understand why so many cats could be so fox-hearted - putting themselves over the Clan that had worked so hard to raise them. In a second, he was on his paws as he spun and stormed over to the apprentice den, wanting to see no more of the dead body of the traitor.

That fox-heart! Unable to speak, Willowwhisker whimpered over the loss of a warrior, and one of Ashstars lives. Smokepelt had adopted her, and Ashstar was smokepelts mother, making her Willowwhiskers grandmother of a sort. Thank goodness she has 9!

OOC: Sorry for deleting the section with Squirrelpaw and causing confusion. I added it again

    Twistedpaw looked wordlessly at the dead body of Lionfur, watching as snowflakes mixed with blood. Looking away, she asked to Smokepelt, "Does he deserve to be buried? What do we do with the body?" She looked between Smokepelt and Lionfur, two cats covered in blood, two murders for two different reasons.

    Squirrelpaw weakly stood up, her battered neck screaming and her as she did. Limping out into the camp clearing, she looked at his father's dead body. Does that make me a murderer, an evil cat? Just because I am his daughter? Turning away awkwardly without moving her injured throat, she buried herself into her mother Nightheart's fur, her claws unsheathing and raking the ground with greif, confusion, anger, and intense, searing pain.

It was as if time had stopped for Nightheart after Smokepelt’s words. Lionfur…had killed Ashstar on cold blood? And then was planning to do it again and again and then do the same to the deputy to take over the clan?

Nightheart just stood where she was for several seconds without reacting at all, regardless of the comforting words or interaction the other cats were trying to give her. It was like if all out of the sudden she had been completely paralyzed by some unnatural force, like if her brain had disconnected from the rest of her body without any warning. However, after some time,  tear finally fell off her lost eyes and she lowered her head and flattened her ears against her skull.

Without even knowing and probably without intending to do it, Smokepelt had ruthlessly pulled her off the denial she had been clinging to like if her life depended on it since the battle. Her eyes had been forced open to the truth she refused to see until then…and it was way too painful. Thousands of questions roamed through her mind over and over again, tormenting her with their silent whispers. Did Lionfur lied to her? He truly loved her or was she just another cat to fool? The cat she fell in love existed at all or was all just an illusion?

She looked at Spiderfur, her eyes full of confusion, pain and grief, asking questions she knew wouldn’t be ever answered. She tried to speak, say anything, but only whimpers and pitiful sobs made it to her muzzle.

It was then when Squirrelpaw’s touch made her turn around to face her. Almost instantly part of her tried to push her to think lowly of her own kits because Lionfur’s blood was running through their veins, and because how much some of them resembled the dead fox-heart she once called her mate…but it couldn’t. Regardless of what their father did, they were still her kits and she still loved them and would gladly give up her life for them.

Without thinking it twice she lowered her head and started to nuzzle the kit’s head. Her eyes soon drifting to the awful scar on her neck. Maybe…StarClan hadn’t been trying to punish her through the awful tragedies that her kits had been forced to endure, but her mate…and while he didn’t received the message or didn’t care she had to carry with the pain instead. Could it be the reason? Was it Lionfur’s fault that now two of their kits were crippled and potentially for their whole life? At the thought she felt a sudden red-hot bolt of anger run through her body, even if nothing could confirm or deny the veracity behind it.

The dark warrior curled her tail comfortingly around her kit, though it was also a subtle way to put a barrier between Lionfur’s body and her. She would care from her kits from then on, she would make sure that they were fine and had a happy life, far from the curse their father had put upon them even if it meant taking it off them all and carry it completely on her own.

Sandybreeze looked down as a little ball of ginger fur leaned into her. "Redkit.. You should be asleep. Go back in the nursery." She meowed sternly, but her eyes softened when she saw the terrified and confused look on her daughter's face. "Hey, everything's fine. Just go back and sleep with your siblings." She whispered, smiling reassuringly, as she herded Redkit back into the nursery, shielding the view of Lionfur's body with hers.

Just as she scooted her into the nursery, Smokepelt began explaining. She looked at Lionfur's body, eyes wide, unable to look away. He.. He'd tried to kill Ashtar..? And then her father? Her eyes narrowed in anger and disbelief, ginger tail tip twitching furiously.

Swiftheart shook his head in surprise and anger when his father finished explaining. What?! That fox-heart! He held back a growl of rage and kept his mouth shut. His eyes drifted to Lionfur's mate and kits and his look of fury changed to one of sympathy. He couldn't imagine what was going through their minds and it made him want to yowl to StarClan. How can You let one fox-hearted cat do so much damage.

Spiderfur couldn't find any words to comfort Nightheart. All she could do was turn her head away from the body of her former apprentice, wanting to tear herself apart. She could've prevented this. By Starclan, she should've been able to prevent this! For a moment her entire body stiffened and her claws dug into the dirt so forcefully that she thought they might not come out. Her eyes flickered to Duskstorm and she shook her head. A mentor was supposed to teach their apprentice to follow the code. She'd failed at the most basic task! And now Ashstar had lost a life. And now Lionfur was dead. And now Windclan was even weaker.

Her voice wavered when she spoke, but it didn't stammer. "I'll try and help you if you need it." The little warrior laid her head across the other she-cat's back. "If you want me to." Her voice was painfully soft. She wanted to scream. She needed to be punished! It was her fault! Why couldn't they see that it was her fault? 'I'm even less than worthless.' Intrusive thoughts forced their way up from the depths. 'I'm the reason why. I couldn't stop him from doing any of this from the start. I was weak.' A few hot tears of her own spilled out across her muzzle and her eyes closed to prevent any more from falling. If only she'd done better. The battle may not have even happened, she realized. If she'd trained him to be more modest, more cautious, maybe he wouldn't have mauled that Riverclan warrior. Maybe he wouldn't have tried to kill Ashstar and Smokepelt. Maybe, even, he'd still be here right now.

She couldn't forgive herself.

Sprucepaw sat beneath the Tallrock,his eyes emotionless.What did it matter?Lionfur was evil in its purest form and now the clan had been cleansed of it.If he was the deputy he would of done the same,this filthy cat had tried to harm his clan and family.As Sprucepaw looked around he saw his mentor grieving and he felt a pang of guilt for his heartless thoughts but really Smokepelt had done the right thing.

The tom soon found himself beside his mentor.He had know idea what to say to her,no idea how to comfort her,but the words soon tumbled out of his mouthSpiderfur,don't worry about this.Lionfur was evil and there was nothing you, or any of us could of done to stop it.You're an amazing mentor,Spiderfur and we all know you tried your best but there was nothing you could of done for him."To be honest Sprucepaw was surprised at his words,they did not sound anywhere near as heartless at he thought they would of.The dark furredcat attempted to smile at his mentor,but really there was no point,so he just Nuzzled her comfortingly.Sprucepaw sighed,the clan was really in trouble this Leafbare.

Thistlefall scowled, that traitor! Who does he think he is? Stealing a precious life away from the leader herself... He flicked his tail at the feeling of his mate, Willowwhisker pressing into his chest fur.

The warrior took a moment to examine his adoptive father, he had wounds from fending off and then killing Lionfur, and Thistlefall was more than happy that he didn't have anything more serious, or that his jaw didn't get injured any further than it already was.

<<>>

Hazepaw held back a gasp, first because of the news Smokepelt brought, and then at the sight of Smokepelt himself. He was getting injured so much lately! Thank god his jaw didn't seem to be any worse after encountering Lionfur. She stole a glance down at the limp body, eyeing the dark red blood that stained his ginger fur. We've been loosing too many warriors lately... She thought sadly, praying to StarClan that they'd make it through leafbare without any more problems.

Casting glances around the clearing as cats broke out into conversation, most of them outraged, disappointed, heartbroken, or most likely all of the above.

Looking to Beetlepaw who was the first to speak up, Smokepelt gave the medicine cat apprentice a nod of acknowledgement. "Of course you can care for her, Beetlepaw," the tom meowed, motioning with his tail to the leader's den. He never meant to say that the medicine cats couldn't go check up on the leader, he simply didn't want the entire clan bothering the leader.

Turning his gaze to Twistedpaw, the apprentice asked a very reasonable question and even he didn't have an answer for it at the moment. What where they to do with the body? Did Lionfur deserve to be buried with the other cats that went to StarClan when he was probably with the DarkForest cats? Thinking for a moment, the deputy let out a deep breath, having decided what to do with the body that laid in the center of camp.

"Although Lionfur was a traitor, he does not deserve to be treated like complete fox dung, for he was still a warrior of WindClan cat," he started, inwardly cringing at the thought of the other tom lying to their faces as he betrayed the clan. "But, at the same time, he doesn't deserve to be buried with our other beloved clan-mates. I have decided that his resting place will be beside the Thunderpath. A place worthy for his... evil presence," Smokepelt finished, waiting to see if anyone had any objections.

Beetlepaw thanked the deputy with a nod, althought he waited for the meeting to end before leaving. He figured his presence would be requested to tend to Lionfur's body. As soon as a decision was made, the dark-furred tom fled to the medicine cat's den, now his new home, chosing from the shelves a clump of mint to rub off the scent of death.

The cat returned and made his way to the body of the dead warrior. He curled his nose in displeasure as he had to treat the traitor to this honorable ritual. He rubbed the mint to the wounds of the warrior especially, where the scent of death and blood were strongerH Je lifted his head and signaled to Smokepelt that he could now pick the warriors to take away the body.

Nightheart looked at Beetlepaw as he worked, but even if her eyes were on the apprentice that was rubbing mint over the dead cat’s body, her gaze was absent, like if even if her body was still there her conscience was really far away. Somkepelt’s words still echoed across her mind, from the revelation to the chosen final resting place of Lionfur.

It wasn’t until Beetlepaw was done with the mint and nodded to the deputy that she raised her gaze and looked at him instead, waiting to know who he was going to choose to go and bury the body. She really wouldn’t mind if her name was mentioned, but deep inside her she was wishing that none of her kits were between those that would be chosen, they had enough by having to see their father’s mauled body and then know about his awful actions.

Deerpaw shoved her way, blue eyes blazing harshly, through her clanmates, letting out a ripping snarl and anyone who dared look at her. When she reached her father's body, she stared at him for a million heartbeats, mouth dry. Her calico fur was clean, beautifully sleek and shimmering, but her pupils had dilated and were clouded with unreadable emotions as she spun towards Smokepelt.

"I want to bury him."

She didn't bother to give any sign of respect towards the deputy; she glared at him with her eyes blazing, daring the tom to contradict her.

Seeing that the camp was a bit overwhelmed by this sudden revelation, Smokepelt knew they needed to get the body out of the clearing before some sort of riot started up.

Looking around the gathered cats, he quickly decided on a few reasonable choices of clanmates to bring the body to the Thunderpath and bury it. "Nightheart, Thistlefall, Spiderfur, and I will be the ones to bury Lionfur," he meowed, ignoring Deerpaw's words. Although Lionfur was the apprentices body, he would not let any young cat have to bury their own father, a liar and a traitor, no matter how much they wanted to. Burying a cat only took a small patrol and he didn't need anyone getting injured by the monsters that lived on the path. Besides, there was something about Deerpaw that was extremely similar to her father and he wasn't going to let an apprentice think she could just tell him what to do, for in the future, that's when they'd run into trouble.

"For now, share your grievances. We will bury him near sun down," the tom meowed. With that, Smokepelt jumped down from the Tallrock and padded to Ashstar's den, not interested in being anywhere near Lionfur. His new and old wounds stung and all he wanted to do was be by his mother's side.

Breathing heavily, her eyes widened and then narrowed into slits.

How dare he?

But some part of her, a little voice in the back of her head, knew she'd done wrong. Well—who cares anyway?! He's my father, for Starclan's sake; Smokepelt knows nothing about this. He— she paused in her thoughts and stared at the deputy for a heartbeat, pure rage flaming up in her eyes. 

He's just as bad as Lionfur. He hurt an apprentice too.

Deerpaw, millions of emotions swirling inside, was overcome with them. She wanted to say something, something that would let what she felt and had gone through come crashing down on the tom, wanted to let something so hurtful and venomous spill from her tongue that it would make him curl up like a kit, crying for his mother.

But nothing came out.

The apprentice turned, a kind of icy coldness settling over her heart, and limped away as fast as she could. Deer brushed past her own mourning mother, past Spiderfur, and felt her heart shatter. However, nothing stopped her as she loped away. Seeing her younger sister who she'd always been so protective over, her eyes glossy from her mangled throat, only made her head spin more as the young calico stumbled away.

She didn't even look back.