To Tell the Truth... (Closed)

Waterlily had not been in Thunderclan camp long since the gathering.  The sun was just beginning to light up the camp.  Waterlily did not try to sleep that night; she knew she would not be able to.  After she returned, there was nothing more she could hide.  It felt sort of like a weird freeing feeling, but it did not make up at all for the other emotions she was experiencing after that night.  She knew she still needed to talk to other cats about what happened.  She hated that thought, but it was true.  One of the cats she needed to talk to was her at one point apprentice and now the leader of the clan.

She had not been able to look much at her kits after the gathering and she especially had not made eye contact with any of the Dark Forest cats.  She made her way around camp till she spotted Stoatstar.  She walked up to the cat.  She was guessing that he may want to talk with her also.  "Stoatstar?"  She asked, her voice still shaky from her lack of sleep and her talking with Klaus at the gathering.  "Do- do you have a minute?"

It had been so long since he'd truly conversed with his mentor. Seeing her approach now brought a comfort that he didn't know he needed. But the leader quickly saw her expression, and heard the slight tremble in her voice. Stoatstar steeled his nerves away, prepared for the speech that would come. Most cats were unhappy with the Dark Forest presence. He hated it himself but there was no other option. If she brought it up, dismissing her words would be painful.

"What is it, Waterlily?" He asked, struggling to keep his voice mild. Exhaustion nagged at his own mind, just as sleepless as his mentor. This would be a long season, underneath the claws of this dark shadow. It threatened to snuff out hope and drain the spirits of the clan. He could already feel himself struggling under the weight and could feel the raking eyes of his clanmates. There was no winning, no matter the angle he took in this scenario.

Waterlily could see that he was preparing himself for what was to come.  She felt bad about having to tell him about this, but it had been long enough.  She was not about to keep lying, she could not.  She just hoped that this would not end up too poorly.  She wished that her former apprentice would understand that she did not know, but, of course, she would not even think of blaming him if he did not.

"I'm sorry, I know you have a lot that you need to deal with," She hesitated.  "But I think you deserve to know the truth.  That cat, Morningstar, I don't know if you noticed but after he was done with his speech he came up to me and that was because-"  Again, she hesitated.  She did not even believe what she was saying, because the night of the gathering felt so much like a nightmare and that it almost seemed like it was  "That was because he was my mate and he is the father of my kits."

She sighed.  "I did not know who he was.  He told me his name was Klaus.  He lied to me.  If I had known-"  Honestly, what would she have done if she had known?  She had no idea.  "I know this is horrible.  I know I was so wrong.  I'm so sorry, Stoatstar."  She prepared for the worst.

Stoatstar's eyes widened slightly, the only thing betraying his shock. First, Dawnhawk's kits that had come to them from life as rogues and now this? It seemed that the fiendish tom had his claws well within the walls of Thunderclan. If it were any cat other than his mentor, perhaps the anger would have been far more ferocious but instead he looked a tad bit sad behind those orange eyes. Any frustrations, any disgust, any rage... they were all targeted at the father of her kits. He wondered if the kits knew and what they thought. Several things rushed through his mind, as if there was not already enough stewing there.

"So you betrayed the clan then?" Stoatstar meowed the question, his tone even, "The very code you helped to teach me?" It was almost funny, really, and that was why his whiskers twitched slightly before the rather deflated laugh left the sides of his maw. There were no thoughts of sympathy for the she-cat but at least she was spared any unpleasant reactions from her old apprentice. This was the first time in so long the pair of them had spoken and this was what she had chosen to say? Was it because he was leader? The tom's jaw clenched slightly as he found himself wishing she'd spoken to him sooner.

"Do the kits know?" Given Dawnhawk's grand entrance at the gathering, he was certain now that every cat in the forest knew of him - and had seen what a terrible monster he was. Stoatstar's ear flicked. So there was the sympathy, it was for the kits. His tail made a wide arc as he sat there in wait, hoping that perhaps Waterlily would answer at least one of his questions. He didn't acknowledge her apology and wasn't really sure how to properly reason through this admission. Questions were easier. They could reconcile later.

Waterlily noticed the slight widening and sadness in Stoatstar's eyes.  Guilt, betrayal, and sorrow were the worst feelings the mismatched eyed she-cat had and right now she was feeling all of those at once.  He asked her questions, ones that she very much did not wish to answer.  She stayed still, staring for a few heartbeats.  She knew nothing she could say would make this better.  The questions he was asking were fair, but they made her feel so much worse.  At the first two she nodded so slightly it was barely noticeable, and her eyes feel to the floor.

So, she decided to focus on the last question.  She cleared her throat uncomfortably.  "Some of them do," She informed him.  "Those at the gathering.  The one's that stayed here..." She hesitated, ashamed by everything that she had done.  "I haven't had the courage to tell them yet."

"Assuming their siblings haven't told them already, you need to tell them, be honest with them." He meowed, shaking his head ever so slightly. The monstrous Dark Forest cat had many ties within Thunderclan, for better or for worse. Stoatstar's tail flickered back and forth slightly as he thought. Cats, whether they intended to or not, would likely take out their disdain for Dawnhawk on the kits. They didn't deserve it - he would do his best to protect them as long as they vowed themselves to the clan like the rogue-born cats. Each was as Thunderclan as the rest, Waterlily had proven herself to be a good warrior until now, hadn't she? She taught him what he knew, helped to raise him.

"Tell the kits but no other cat. I can't promise anyone else will take it well. Being involved with Dawnhawk is dangerous. I think it goes without saying but take care of yourself Waterlily. I can only do so much." It felt utterly hopeless to admit. But with an undead creature, limitless power in his paws, Stoatstar was outmatched by the Skyclan born tom. He couldn't save Thunderclan from Dawnhawk now, as much as he tried, he couldn't protect the ones that he loved. This was the best they could do, sit and wait until some hope presented itself. His ear flicked and he pried her with one more question, "What made you do it? Betray the code and clan?"