The consequences of our actions (Closed)

Roseburn and Sablestrike had returned to camp, and it did not take long at all for Nightstar to notice, as he had been waiting outside his den for them. Originally, he was just going to ask how their hunt had gone, now Roseburn had been feeling, but that was not the case. Roseburn had come back, bloody, with an owl corpse between the two, and Shadowclans leader couldn't help but notice that Sablestrike didn't even have feathers between his claws and seemed very unruffled. Roseburn shouldn't have been out of camp so early, he knew that but did not follow them out, and yet he had not run to catch up to them, he believed that Roseburn would need the time out and Sablestrike would be enough to protect her. But the consequences of that were laid bare before him.

Nightstar padded up to the two, his amber eyes steely and cold as he looked down at the two, "Roseburn, go to the medicine den. Sablestrike, my den, now." Nightstar could feel his tolerance dripping from him like ice melting. Nightstar had made his own mistakes lately, with Roseburn getting hurt, and him leaving Snowfoot's rite in others' paws while he investigated a rogue at Carrionplace and subsequently beat the offending cat off. But he had trained Sablestrike, many of his most respectable warriors had picked it up his training in his place, and yet, here he was with nary a hair out of place. Nightstar spun on his paws as he stalked to his den, Sablestrike surely in tow. He was sure that his former apprentice could feel the ire dripping from him like a toxic sludge, but he could not care to be kind and tolerant of behaviour like this.

"Explain to me this, my warrior, why you have returned to camp without a hair out of place, while Roseburn has wounds?" Nightstar growled, his bones rattling with the force of it. Glaring down at his former-apprentice with toxic amber eyes.

Their trip out of camp hadn't gone as expected, but in some ways it had been better than what he could have hoped for. Sure, Roseburn was upset with him now, but she seemed more confident now than she had before their outing. As the two arrived back at camp, Sablestrike set a course for the medicine den, but froze as he saw Nightstar approaching them. He had expected news to reach the leader, but not this quickly. Unease filled him as he sent Roseburn off, alone. He had hoped that the two would be able to share what was coming, but being separated only made things worse. Silently, Sablestrike followed Nightstar into the leader's den. Wincing at his leader's fierce tone, Sablestrike started his explanation. "Roseburn offered to train me when she got better, and now seemed like a good time, but when I spoke to her, I saw fear and shame. I didn't plan on the owl being there, I just wanted to give her a win, something to make her feel better! I told her to hunt a mouse, but then the owl... I saw a chance to give the win she needed." Sablestrike's voice started to grow more confident with each word. He wasn't in the wrong, he had done what he thought was right, and come to think of it, there was something he needed to say. "Nothing was going to happen to Roseburn, your sister handled the owl easily, and it only landed an attack when she was unaware of its presence. I was close by, if something happened to her- or if she called for help, I would have been there for her. That's more than I can say about you." Anger started to show in his voice as he returned Nightstar's glare, trying with all his might to match the leader's intensity. "You were there, you let them ruin themselves instead of helping them. Stars, Snowfoot isn't just your clanmate, she's on your council, and you just let her get mauled. Didn't you learn anything from Roseburn's rite? You still have your sister, but I lost my mother because of you." Sablestrike didn't care about the early grave he was digging for himself. He needed Nightstar to know what he had lost.

"But you failed to communicate that, didn't you? Nothing you just told me, conveys that both you and Roseburn previously agreed. What you're saying is that you decided you knew what Roseburn needed, saw the owl before she did, and let it attack her. What you've done just demonstrates how naive you are." Nightstar growled as Sablestrike's tone grew confrontational, and the leader's hackles rose. "Every warrior when they take their rite, is aware of the risks, they know they will get injured, they are fighting predators Sablestrike. Regardless, every supervising warrior has the authority to intervene, regardless if I make the call or not." Nightstar snarled, making it aware that the blame did not just lay on him. "I offer my condolences for what happened to Snowfoot, I however was not there to assist her since I was out chasing rogues off our territory and could not have been present to help her. You laying blame on me for Snowfoots decision to fight what she did, and your fellow warriors to not jump in when needed does not fall on my shoulders." Nightstar advanced, "Have you forgotten in all your spars, what fighting a predator is really like? Do you not realize that they are willing to play dirty and violently to win their fights? Against such brutality like that, it is a miracle that since our return to our territory, that no cat has died? Perhaps you should sit in on each clan member's rites then, and you can make the call, especially since you're so pressed that you know what is best for your clanmates." Nightstar snarled, his claws working the ground as he waited and watched Sablestrike.

Stars, he didn't like what Nightstar was saying, but the leader was right. Sablestrike hadn't said a word to Roseburn during the fight, he had just let it attack her. In the moment he had done what he thought was right, but actually hearing his offenses out loud made him rethink his actions. One thing he knew for sure, he would have to apologize to Roseburn later for his carelessness. "They know the risks? Of course they know the risks, that doesn't mean it's okay to let a fresh warrior take on a badger. Not everyone can handle a predator on their own, as Roseburn and Snowfoot have so aptly proved. This is your policy Nightstar, it's your duty to make sure they come back alive." A snarl of his own escaped Sablestrike as his leader spoke about Snowfoot. "You don't care about what happened to her, don't even speak her name. If you cared, you would have been there to protect her. I haven't seen you visit her once since her initial injury, it's clear that you don't care about her at all. " He wanted to push further, mention the same about Roseburn, but even he knew that was taking it too far. Nightstar loved to act like he cared, but in reality he couldn't care less. "I know how to fight predators, I've killed a porcupine and taken on a fox. Since returning, Leopardsun has done all of the heavy lifting for you, all I've seen you do is take on your own rite and enact policies. It's just another duty you're passing off on someone else, but I'll gladly accept that responsibility if you're offering. One of us has to protect our clanmates, it doesn't seem like you're gonna do it."

"Do NOT belittle me. Sablestrike, I am your leader, and to strip me of all the hard work and duties I have performed just as you have, is beyond disrespectful." Nightstar snarled, a growl rumbling from his throat. "Do not presume that I do not care, just because you have not been witnessing my actions every moment. Do you not sleep, hunt, and patrol? If I did not care for my clanmates, would I be here now? Not only as Starclans approved leader, but speaking with you about your actions? I'm giving you the opportunity to watch over a few rites, but do not fool yourself into thinking it's a permanent affair. This attitude and rampant disrespect will end, and perhaps you will have some eye-opening experiences of your own. Then, maybe, you will gain some understanding. And perhaps I have given you your name too early." Nightstar snapped, his tail lashing and kicking up the decorations of his den. "You have done the exact same thing today, that you are holding me accountable for. Look at yourself and check your hypocrisy."

"You're talking to me about this because it affects you, Nightstar. If it wasn't Roseburn then I doubt I'd be in here, Leopardsun probably would have been sent to talk to me instead. It's just another one of her many tasks, right?" Nightstar's comment about his name hurt, way more than he cared to admit. It was enough to finally deflate Sablestrike. That wasn't something he had expected at all, why did that mean so much to him? Sablestrike turned his head from Nightstar, unable to meet the older tom's gaze. "Maybe you did." It was all he could think to say at the moment, the truth of Nightstar's words finally setting in. He wouldn't admit to being wrong about Roseburn, those situations were too different to compare, but he was guilty of something else. "You're right. Can I go now?" There was no vigor to his words anymore, he just wanted to be done with this conversation.