Neverending Tensions

Hearing Mottleheart's words, Specklepaw realized that she was walking toward him only stopping at his side. She ten nodded at his words agreeing. "Yes we must all want this fighting no sense to stop. I am truly sorry Fishstar for...urr...our inconvenience," sighing Specklepaw added, "And sorry for calling you no good fish-faces. I was just a little..well...mad! You can understand right?" Sitting she curled her tail over her paws and to hide her embarrassment. Turning her head to looked at Mottleheart, blushing. Why did I have to lose my temper earlier!?! I made my self look like a mouse-brain! Specklepaw knew she had acted kit-ish losing her temper during the announcement of Kindleblaze's exile.

 Dipping her head to both the Riverclan patrol and then to Mottleheart, she walked away in the direction of Brindlewhisker. Flicking her tail to touch Brindlewhisker's back, she tried to get the she-cat's attention. "Ok I won't go wit Gustpuddle to escort Kindleblaze. I will just sit here and do something or go on a patrol. Maybe battle train with Laurelpaw and Crowfoot! I promise I won't go with Gustpuddle. After saying the words, Specklepaw looked around the camp for her mentor or her mum. Huh! I wonder how Mossfoot and Crowfoot thought about this? Wow! My mom and my mentor both have 'Foot' in their name! Specklepaw slightly laughed at the sudden realization. Sitting she flicked her tail back and forth wondering if some kits would like to chase it.

Fishstar watched the entire ordeal unfold with a cold, unmoving expression, her ears flattened against her head in disdain. Kindleblaze. Her eyes stayed fixed on the warrior in question for a long while. She could see red, but she remained as still as a statue. Fishstar had always strongly believed that what went around came around. This cat deserved the same pain as Morningfog did.. To feel claws mar her eyes and face, and to have to be presented with the notion that she would never be able to physically see anyone she loved again.. Only darkness. More injury was the last thing both WindClan and Riverclan needed right now, though, and four RiverClan cats were not in a position to defend themselves against a whole other Clan.

Fishstar's attention jumped back to Ashstar as she began to speak, her voice thick with distress and anger. She stayed silent and attentive as the tension exploded. Exile. Some sort of weight lifted inside of her as the scarcely-spoken ceremonial words tumbled out into the air. She was no less enraged about what had happened to Morningfog - and she would never forget about what Smokepelt had done to her only son - but she could finally say that she respected one of Ashstar's decisions. She could see that the younger she-cat was tired of such loose control of her warriors. The record had to be set straight.

Fiahstar met Ashstar's gaze directly as she finished off her spheal, and she watched her form retreat after a curt set of parting words. She glanced in-turn at Mottlewing and Specklepaw, nodded, and then rose to her paws. It was time to go. "There will be no cause for any more fighting." She caught Kindleblaze's eye as she moved to turn back to her deputy and warriors. With a final hiss, she said, "If I see you anywhere near our borders, however, there will be, but it will be between us and you, not WindClan. You will be shown no mercy."

With a dismissive swish of her tail, Fishstar signaled her Clanmates to follow her out.

Smokepelt's heart dropped when his daughter was the only cat to speak up. She… she couldn't have done this, she just couldn't have. "Kindleblaze…" the tom started, his legs growing stiff and his jaw quivering. "Y-you did this?" he spoke softly, staring at his daughter and drowning out his mother's words, extremely appalled. All that time he'd spent teaching her to not make the same mistake as he had, and now she was being exiled?

Not letting his pain filled eyes leave the younger she-cat, Smokepelt didn't know what to say, and quite frankly hadn't been ready to hear this new either. His favorite, more precious daughter, exiled from WindClan… what was the world coming to, and why did StarClan keep punishing him and the clan like this?

~~~~~~~~~~

Wincing at Ashstar's words, Kindeblaze kept her head low to the ground, wanting nothing more than to curl up in her nest and pretend that this was all a horrible dream. Shocked gasps and eyes bore into her soul as her secret was revealed, and she although it was horrible news, she wasn't very surprised when the grey leader ordered her punishment. Exiled from the clans. It seemed a bit harsh, considering the fact that accidents happen, but none the less, she had no choice but to accept Ashstar's words.

Lifting her head, the tall, slender grey she-cat turned her gaze to her father who looked the most hurt out of everyone. It pained her to see him in such a state, and taking a step forward, she nuzzled him on the cheek with her muzzle while he continued to stand as stiff as a statue. ”I’m so sorry,” she mewed softly, her eyes swelling up with tears. Nothing would ever make up for what she'd done, and she knew that her family and clan would probably never forgive her.

Looking around, Furzethroat, her brother and best friend was nowhere to be found, nor was her little brother Ryecloud or her mother, Hazefur, so she assumed that they must have been on a patrol, and not being able to say goodbye to them made her want to cry out into the open moorland air. But instead, the former WindClan warrior padded past the crowd of cats, embarrassed with her head and tail hanging low. Stopping at the camp entrance, she looked back one last time before heading out onto the moor. Was she really going to leave to her clanmates, family members, and friends so easily? Yes, because she didn’t really have a choice. From now on, she was no longer a WindClan warrior, and as angry and sorrowful thinking about it made her, she'd have to somehow learn to accept it.

Though Ivyfall was composed as she left, when her eyes met Smokepelt's briefly, there was a smugness in it. She hoped that he suffered the pain that her leader faced, the uncertainty that filled you when you realised you didn't know how the future will be for your kin. She hoped this torn and divided their clan as Shellwater's pained cries and Morningfog's wounds did for them, leaving them flustered and fearful for their own. The deputy was more than pleased with the leader's decision, nodding politely without a hint of the feeling of superiority that filled her showing to Ashstar.

With a flick of her tail, she followed out with Fishstar.