Welcoming Committee (Open, Darkstar needed.)

Everyone is free to post, no need to wait. The commotion is a good reason for Darkstar to investigate anyway.)

Rowan hung from Rockpaw's jaws, tears dripping and turning red from the blood that coated his pelt. The kit had given up on fighting to run back to the corpse of his mother, too weak and hungry to do so. His eyes were stuck on the clearing, more cats like Rockpaw were there and he thought his life would be over sooner than he wished. Would they kill him too? Did they eat kits?

Cloverkit peered out of the nursery her head cocked to the side. She ducked her head back in. "Blazingkit! Come look at this!!" She meowed and then popped her head back out.

Sandpaw padded out of the apprentices den and narrowed his eyes.

Stonepaw followed and tilted his head in confusion.

Cloudpaw followed after her brothers and frowned at the poor kits condition. Padding over to Rockpaw the snow white she cat opened her mouth. "Rockpaw! What's wrong with this poor kit?" The she cat meowed her icy blue eyes glued to the young tom.

Rockpaw looked up at Cloudpaw before looking away quickly, setting it down albeit reluctantly he meowed. "I-I killed his mom Cloudpaw, I tore her throat out in front of this kits eyes." He choked, ears pressing against his head as he screwed his eyes shut.

"Oh Rockpaw.." Cloudpaw meowed softly. She sat next to him and let him lean into her, wrapping her tail around him protectively. "Shh. It'll be ok. I'm sure you had a reason?" The snow white she cat didn't like killing but if he defended himself she understood. That's what her mother and father had done after all.

Sandpaw glared at Rockpaw and his sister. He didn't like any toms getting close with her.

Stonepaw frowned at the two apprentices, Cloudpaw comforting Rockpaw.

Rowan whimpered and tried to crawl away, he only got a whisker away and looked up at Cloudpaw. The kit then curled up again, too scared to try to run away. His gaze lowered to the kit looking at him. He sniffled and wobbled, trying to stand. He stood and sniffled again, trying his hardest not to cry. It didn't last long and he was back to tears again. "I wanna go home..."

Cloudpaw's eyes softened looking down at the kit. She gave him a friendly smile. "I'm Cloudpaw. nice to meet you. whats your name little one?"

Emberheart had raced over the moment she spotted the two arrive, and now her tail curled protectively around the small kit as she gently rasped her tongue over his pelt, washing away the blood and salty water, cooing softly to him. After having a litter of three and adopting one extra, the russet she-cat had a slight motherly instinct.

She raised herself above Rowan protectively, shoulders tensed as she glared, eyes narrowed, toward Rockpaw. "What happened?"  The tom kit was underneath her crouched posture, and her ear flicked toward the apprentices. She hardly trusted Rockpaw anyway; as a kit, he was snarky and demanding; as an apprentice, he'd gotten himself into trouble countless times.

Blacktwig strode forwards, standing a little ways away from Emberheart—but equally as horrified. He knew he didn't have to mewl, but a sharp wince sliced his throat. In its place, a growl upsurged. "Rockpaw," the tom said boldly, about to suggest that the kit be placed in the medicine cats' den until further notice. Then, he decided that Blizzardshine or Darkstar should make that cull. He sniffed the air; the rancid tang of blood filled his nostrils. He curled his lip. With his icy blue eyes slitted against the light, he looked rather intimidating—it would most likely affright the kitten. But, held within that terrorizing cerulean flash was a modicum of warmth. He nearly attempted to shoulder his way to the scared kit, but stood his ground. He sighed and continued. "What... you know, I wouldn't force you to explain it a second time." Blacktwig spat. "That kit must be terrified," said he, turning his back on Rockpaw and sitting down, his coat less-than-flourishing. He licked a claw, rendering it glossy.

"Rockpaw please tell me you killed her in self defense." Cloudpaw begged trying to help out just a little, even if it was in self defense he wouldn't be in that much trouble.

Rockpaw shrunk away eyes transfixed on his paws, swallowing once, twice, three times. His clan mates seemed to be suffocating him, firing to his paws he pushed around his clan mates. He couldn't speak, the words couldn't come out right. His legs shook furiously as he looked down at the fresh-kill pile, the bile coming back up once more.

"I killed his mom, I ripped out her throat! She-She attacked me first though - I didn't know that she had a kit! She was hunting in our territory and I just.. I just wanted to chase her out!" He spluttered, his words clipped and sounding off to his ears. He had to make it right some how, he had to. "I am so... so sorry I didn't mean to. I didn't mean to do it! I'm going to the dark forest for this! I've slain a mother only hunting to feed her starving kitten!" He choked, the words coming rapid fire as he fell into a spiraling pit of self-disgust and terror.

Blacktwig snarled. "Well," he voiced, "I do believe it is against the code to leave a kit to die. Especially when you killed its mother." Blacktwig's tone was laced with accusation. "You won't go to the Dark Forest," mewed the warrior disgustedly, yet as coolly as he could manage. He grunted stiffly, padding over to sit beside Cloudpaw. He was amazed at her tranquility in this situation, with the kit coated in blood. He attempted to reciprocate her calm demeanour. "Darkstar should know, but don't worry. The mention will probably not be an accusation." Blacktwig sighed. As much as he tried to sound assuring, he dwarfed his authoritative tone. His tail-tip twitched with irritation.

A loud commotion in the clearing caught Leopardpaw's attention. Looking up from his grooming, he listened for a moment to Rockpaw's outburst. With every word his eyes narrowed, and his body tensed. Oh StarClan, another? ANOTHER!? And this one was preventable! A low growl rumbling in his throat, he stalked up to the small group, pushing his way past a few of his clanmates until he saw the scared kit. It was so small, so helpless.....

Looking up, his eyes blazed with fury as he turned his attention to Rockpaw. The fur along his spine prickling, he unsheathed his claws and dug them deep into the ground as he hissed; "You did what? How...how could you!? You just took away this kit's only family, and over what? A border dispute!?"

His rage growing, he was yowling at this point. "You don't know what it's like to be alone! You have condemned this kit to a life of loneliness and pain!" Eyes narrowing, he swept a judgmental glare over the apprentice before spitting out his last line; "I hope you're happy with yourself."

Leopardpaw's words stung like venom; Blacktwig was glad he wasn't on the receiving end. But, Blacktwig could not quench his anger, for he stood next to Leopardpaw in an equally hostile manner, his ultraviolet eyes burning holes in Rockpaw's dark, stormy grey fur. He harked back to the jilting of Leopardpaw and the golden tom's good friend, Lichenpaw. And now Rockpaw was the cause of one of these torts. Blacktwig grew increasingly more cross, his ears pinned against his head. This would not end with the framed young tom unscathed.

Cloudpaw shot to her feet, icy blue eyes blazing with anger with the force of a thousand suns. "Alright that's enough!" She growled. The snow white she cat narrowed her eyes at her clan mates. "This needs to stop right now. You are clan mates not wild dogs. He didn't mean to kill that she cat he was just defending himself! I know I hate killing but this is no way to treat somebody who made a mistake!" She barked harshly. Turning to Rockpaw the she cat's gaze softened. "And you. Don't listen to them they have no idea what your going through." She said and turned and glared at Leopardpaw.

Sandpaw and Stonepaw were taken aback at their sisters words and her angry tone. Never before had they seen her angry.

Blacktwig's fur raised immediately. "I do agree that we may be too harsh," he spat, his gaze softer, "but this is not an achievement." Blacktwig's tail lashed swiftly and irately, his claws sinking into the dirt. Leopardpaw, beside him, still seemed rather heated. Blacktwig wasn't about to take orders from an apprentice, but, against his better judgement, he still fumed with rage.