Forthright [Closed]

Sitting in the nursery had been mundane, filled with nothing but the thoughts of her kits and Crowstar. But for once, her mind had settled on something else. The grey and white she-cat had nothing left but her family in WindClan, with all of her kits aside from Goosekit being in SkyClan. She'd decided to stay a little longer, with her promise to move to SkyClan still upheld. She knew it wasn't what she wanted, but she didn't know how to go about it, and with Ashstar gone, she was more lost than ever. Lifting her head from her paws, she gazed around at the near-empty nursery. She knew she wouldn't be able to leave, it wasn't in her to do that. But her kits...

As an idea wormed its way into her mind, her ears perked up and her tail began to twitch. She had planned on asking advice from Ashstar, but she feared that advice was not what she needed anymore. She needed help and someone who wasn't afraid of confrontation, and someone who she could trust. She wouldn't blame anyone for being upset with her, but she needed someone unlike her father, who'd practically disowned her. After quickly stretching, she began to pad towards the leaders den, Ashstar's scent still lingering in tendrils. "Brindlestar?"

Loneliness and Leadership seemed one in the same these days.

It felt as though Brindlestar had been robbed of what minimal comforts she had acquired throughout her seasons of life. Everything that had once seemed as though an escape from the looming weight of her responsibilities, down to the very place that she had once slept in, had effectively been torn from her grasp within mere moments. It seemed as though the only thing she still managed to possess were the fears and struggles she had tried so desperately to evade- but now, she didn't even have Ashstar alongside her to lighten the load. It was simply her, carrying this burden solely upon her own shoulders. Of all the useless wisdom they had sought to bestow upon her during the sacred ceremony, they couldn't of thrown in a few wise words about how to deal with such a transition?

Although Brindlestar had all but recovered within the eyes of her Clanmates, the struggle of keeping herself pieced together was utterly exhausting most days. Even during the most agonizing moments of her life, she hadn't felt so drained and weary. Chin resting heavily upon her forepaws and gaze blearily drifting after the playful shadows that simmered within the edges of her peripheral vision, the Leader was content to simply escape from her own mind for even the briefest of moments. It was fairly difficult to do so with a cat or two popping into her little reclusive hiding place every other heartbeat, and even more so whenever a stray breeze kicked up what little of Ashstar's scent that still remained within the stone hollow. The newly-named Leader remained like that for what felt like an eternity, almost as though she was in a bizarre trance, a flicker of something other than detached nostalgia awakening within her gaze.

"Come in." Brindlestar eventually mewed, gaze fixated upon the slight shadow exuded by Gustpuddle's lingering form.

At Brindlestar’s bidding, Gustpuddle stepped into her den with the slightest bit of what one might call hesitation. Her fur bristled slightly when she thought back on the night that the rats that had attacked Crowstar; how Featherlight revealed to her that she was carrying his kits. She decided it wasn’t much of a time for niceties, cutting right to the chase, only giving a short, yet but curt, nod in her direction as she stepped forward, towards whatever would come of their talk.”I hope you don’t mind me taking your time, Brindlestar, but I’ve got something rather important to talk about.” The petite she-cat sat in front of her Leader, looking into her eyes.

”I assume you’re well aware of my newest litter.”

A glint simmered within the depths of Brindlestar's stony gaze, the faint flicker of an emotion akin to anger only visible for the briefest moment.

"And what about them?" She mewed, an unruly tension seeping into previously relaxed form. Although she had never questioned Gustpuddle about the circumstances that had surrounded her latest litter of kits, the quiet whispers and rumors had laid out a plethora of unfavorable scenarios. Resisting the urge to sigh in exasperation, it took a surprising amount of force to will away the need to spit in annoyance. Ashstar give me strength. The quiet reflection was internally spoken with a great weariness. "I suppose it's safe to assume that you didn't come here to discuss the details of Goosepaw's training." Brindlestar eventually added, tone dryer than a streambed during the hottest moons of the season.

"No, that's not what I'm here for." In truth, Gustpuddle didn't know how to tell Brindlestar what she needed to. It looked as if she'd have to go with her gut, and just calmly tell her what she needed to. She sighed inwardly, reading for the coming storm she was sure that she'd receive."Those kits are Crowstar's." She looked into Brindlestar's eyes, likely filled with disgust and contempt for the small warriors actions. It quite obviously wasn't something that she was proud of, but there was more to tell. The next part was something that she found much harder to tell, as it was something that she needed help with, and Gustpuddle hated having to ask for help. Biting back a tired yawn, she continued."And all of them, barring Goosepaw, are in SkyClan." She hoped that her intentions were clear to the she-cat; those kits belonged in WindClan, but she had no way of getting them back.

Heated disbelief simmered within her being, starting as a faint flicker within her impatiently flexing toes and eventually burning its way up into the highest points of her form. Tension coiled within her muscles, twisting them up into such tightly wound knots that it pained Brindlestar to move in the slightest of ways. I trusted you! She wanted to seethe, almost unable to meet the smaller she-cat's gaze, How could you have done such a stupid thing? You've betrayed your family and everything we stand for!

It took a massive amount of strength to reign in the bitter accusation that pooled within her throat. Exhaling a sharp, winded breath through her nose, Brindlestar's gaze remained tightly sealed for several painfully long moments as she sifted through various statements. "It was your decision to freely give your litter up." The words were carefully measured and lacked the previous heat of her last words, only the faintest note of disappointment sharpening the words, "You've essentially given up your right to interfere with their lives. Even if SkyClan was willing to allow them to cross to this Clan, there's no guarantee that the kits would even want to come. SkyClan is their home and family now."

Gustpuddle dipped her head in understanding of Brindlestar's words, finally letting the shame show through every feature of her face."I know I'm in no place to try and convince you to help." Meeting the brindled she-cats gaze, she held the pleading gaze that she'd walked into the den with."You've got every right to be upset with me, I understand. But those kits belong here, so please, Brindlestar, I need your help." Looking up into the larger she-cats deep blue eyes, she made sure to hold eye contact with her, no matter how painful.

A vexed sigh was expelled from deep within Brindlestar's chest, rattling her ribs with the ensuing forth of the irked breath. Rolling her shoulders in a restless manner, she tried to ward off the looming sense of weariness. She didn't want to deal with this- she didn't know how to deal with this. The biting sense of distrust grated at her deeply, inevitably coupling with her agitated disposition. Trying to force down the plethora of different emotions and responses that were surging through her being with white-hot intensity only resulted in a ferocious pounding within her temples. "You are asking much of me." The scarred she-cat's gaze narrowed slightly, silently emphasizing her disdain for the situation. "You have not only betrayed the faith that your Clan has bestowed upon you and the sacred oath we all swear by, but now you're asking me to reward such affairs." Tail giving a disquieted lash, she remained silent for several painfully long heartbeats, lingering over countless possible scenarios.

"I shall act only due to the shared blood within our veins- the blood between our kits. We shall go to SkyClan, and depending on whether or not they are willing to host us, and discuss our options. If any of these kits are willing to return to WindClan with you, then they will be accepted with no questions. But this decision is their choice and their choice alone- we will not force them to return if they do not wish to do so." Brindlestar finally relented, unwilling to relent before Gustpuddle's pleading stare.