A trial for a traitor (open)

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather bellow Tallbranch for a clan meeting!" Tinystar mewed, his voice rough and commanding. Today he would hold a trial for an apprentice who betrayed her clan, and he was personally not looking forward to a second of what was soon to come. Judgement on cat's and their loyalty towards their clans was sometimes of the many tasks that came with being leader and it certainly wasn't a fun one, seeing as though the clan seemed so touchy and could very easily split these days.

Luckily for him, he'd been in the right mind and had had the chance to converse with Mistyrain about what to do with Maplepaw and Lightfang. The two of them had agreed on a reasonable punishment for Lightfang, which was that he was not to not leave camp for a half moon and after that only leave if escorted, but they hadn't found such peace about Maplepaw's. Today, he prayed that he'd make the right choice as to not lose the trust and support of his clanmates and StarClan, like he had those many moons ago...

Sandblaze's pawsteps were heavy, dragging him down with each step. He was not so stupid as to not know what this was about. He stayed close to his brothers and his beloved sister. Lightfang's punishment had been light, and he could only hope for such a thing for dear Maplepaw. Tinystar was a reasonable cat, wasn't he? Once SkyClan, always SkyClan, no matter the decisions that had been made as an apprentice. No matter how misguided his sister had been their entire lives, she was one of them. She was Delta. 

Sandblaze's eyes flickered and locked with hers. His heart thumped a gentle rhythm against his ribs. He forced a smile. Judgement day was here. 

What happens next?

Contrary to Sandblaze, Maplepaw was in fact too stupid to understand what this was about and merely assumed it was a ceremony of some sort. She sat next to her brother, not at all expecting what was to come.

”I could talk to him.”

When he’d insisted that, it had been pure desperation. Even then, Lightfang had known he would struggle if—when—Tinystar confronted him. But Lightfang had tried. He had stood before Tinystar and Mistyrain, unable to meet his mentor’s eyes as if it was his first day of training all over again, and the only worthwhile thing he’d managed to say was ”I’m sorry.” Though he could already feel the restlessness that came with the thought of having his paws tied for half a moon (and partially tied for the following half; asking a warrior to escort him on a hunting patrol was as daunting as fighting the Sharptooth, Burningsun being the sole exception), his punishment was light. He wasn’t worried about himself.

Glassy-eyed and rigid as a cliff face, the pale warrior sat near his siblings, some tail-lengths separate from them. It had seemed so straightforward at the time… StagClan was dangerous, and he’d been so relieved to see Maplepaw alive that he’d forgotten to think. Hadn’t she said Tinystar wouldn’t be happy about her return? Why hadn't he listened? Bowing his head, Lightfang pressed his forepaws together. Tinystar wasn't any easier to look at on the Tallbranch than he'd been when they stood on the same ground.

Watching from the back of the camp, Sunflower didn't bother going to sit among the crowd, like always. With his usually large ears, it wasn't difficult to overhear conversations and part of him was worried for what was to come. His father definitely seemed more merciful this time around, but anything was still possible, which is what worried him.

Amberdawn was not ready for the meeting that was to come. The SkyClan medicine cat's sleep had been restless, full of bits and fragments of the dream she had dreamed before so recently: the looming mountains, gray stone after gloomy gray stone; flashes of Firflower's loving face and bright, creamy fur intertwined with an unfamiliar ginger-and-white tom's own lean but strong body, littered with scars. No matter how often Amberdawn racked her brain in the waking hours, she couldn't think of who the pelt belonged to - certainly not Elmcloud, Firflower's mate, for he was a solid, rich russet color - but she couldn't deny the meaning of the three kits that always appeared.

Firflower had come home from the mountains with five kits, this Amberdawn knew, and four remained of the litter. Four, however, were not shown in the vision. Three were. Three kits, dancing around Firflower and the strange cat. If the tom in her vision was not Elmcloud, and the tom was not in the Clan, then... then three of the kits were not truly Elmcloud's. They were half-Clan cats, and half rogue. The question was, which three? What rogue had fathered them? The kits in the dream were simply shadows; she couldn't tell which were which by size or shape or fur or action, and truly, all of her kits - Maplepaw, Lightfang, Sandblaze, and Swallowflight - looked as much like SkyClan cats as any other.

Amberdawn entered the clearing and sat near the front, giving her leader a polite nod before casting a worried gaze at Sandblaze and Lightfang. When she looked at Maplepaw, the she-cat was unconcerned. The medicine cat's paws worked the ground anxiously. Does she even realize she is at risk? the she-cat wondered, ducking her head slightly to think.

Spottedleap stirred from his nap at Tinystar's call. He sat up, stretched, and moved closer to the Tallbranch to listen to his leader. Tensions had risen in camp beyond explanation over the past few sunrises, and now that Tinystar had recovered from his illness, it seemed it would all come to a head now. He knew little of the strange apprentice that entered camp save that Spottedleap's half-brothers were deeply involved and she had a familiar ginger pelt. The warrior could extrapolate enough on those two facts alone, but he chose not to have an opinion on the matter. Two-thirds of SkyClan had ginger fur, and his brothers' interests had not been shared with him. He stole a quick glance at Amberdawn, who seemed quite perplexed. There were many things working beyond his understanding, and it wasn't enjoyable at all.

Swallowflight followed numbly behind his brothers, mouth shut and eyes hollow. He, too, feared the worst for their sister. Lightfang had been let off easy (though in his eyes, the tom was innocent), so there wasn't too much for him. Maplepaw, on the other hand...Maplepaw was probably viewed as a traitor to all of Skyclan. For Starclan's sake, she attacked him! Her own brother and kin! The thought made his blood boil, but he forced himself to stay calm. On the outside, at the very least. Worry clawed at his pelt like the guilt had several moons ago, when the flame tabby had first disappeared. But now she was here, home, safe and sound. How long it would remain that way? He wasn't sure. Surely, Tinystar wouldn't throw out a..a cat with an intelligence of hers, right? She wouldn't be able to return to Stagclan. She wouldn't last long on her own either. Hopefully, the short-legged tom would show mercy on her. Just this once...their family would forever be in his gratitude. They just got Maplepaw back..they wouldn't be able to bare losing her again.

Burningsun was... Guarded. Her face was even as she sat next to Sandblaze. Everything felt so different now, she wasn't sure how to feel. Words bubbled under her pelt, waiting to come out. She would fight for Maplepaw to stay, if only for the good of Lightfang and Sandblaze.

Waiting for the clan to gather bellow, Tinystar went over what him and Mistyrain had talked about for what felt like a thousand times. It was simple, really, though he found himself growing more and more concerned at what his clanmates might think of his decision. Hopefully, they would understand where he was coming from this time.

"We gather here today to address the treason of one of our clanmates," the little legged leader mewed as the crowd quickly grew silent. "Maplepaw, step forward," he spoke firmly, his gaze meeting the apprentice's. 'Please, don't let this be harder than it has to be,' he prayed silently to himself, though he tried his best to look as commanding as possible on the outside.

"Maplepaw, you abandoned your clan and now wish to return," he paused for a moment before continuing, shifting his gaze around the camp as if contemplating his decision to go on. "I do not tolerate traitors, nor will I simply let one back into our ranks, much less without any punishments. After much discussion, Mistyrain and I came to an agreement on what should be done with you. Maplepaw, for acting like such a kit, you are to be exiled from SkyClan," the small tom's voice echoed over the now hushed clearing.

"Or... you will be granted the opportunity to stay. But, you will not be granted your warrior name this coming moon and will start your training over so that you may be learn to respect the warrior code that we are all so privileged to live under. You will be kept a close eye on and will be required to help clean the elder's nests till the next full moon," Tinystar finished. Cleaning the elder's den wasn't necessarily a punishment, unless their babbling on about the good-ol-days counted as torture.

"Maplepaw, do you or anyone else have anything to say on the matter?" considering what had happened the last time he'd called a clan meeting such as this, he was definitely showing mercy and no-cat should come up with a reason to object, though he assumed at least one cat would, which is why he gave his clanmates time for their voices to be heard, even though he wasn't about to change his mind on either of he decided retributions.

Sandblaze's heart leaped into his throat, rattling back and forth in his head. He felt woozy. Panicked. Tanglekit's words played softly in his head as he looked from Tinystar to his sister. He had been merciful. There was a choice. She didn't have to leave. They could be a family again, after all this time! Burningsun's pelt brushed against his as he pushed out of the crowed and yowled at his dearest little sister, with all the terror of a cornered bird in his strangled voice. 

"Don't do it, Maplepaw!" he begged, "Please! You need to stay with your kin, I need you to stay with your kin! Look at our mother!" He whirled around, feeling his heart soften at the very sight of Firflower's gentle blue eyes. "You can't leave, Del-!" Sandblaze coughed loudly and painfully to cover the false name that dared tear from his mouth. He wept silently, feeling his knees get heavy and weak. He would blame his slip on the fragility of his mind. It made enough sense. Wasn't exactly a lie. 

Eyes of blue, rocking like the violent sea, met his sister's. She was his kin. Kin of Starlord. She had no idea. They had come so far, only to be split apart? No. He wouldn't have it. "If you leave, Maplepaw, I will never forgive you. Ever."

Mistyrain shifted uneasily on her paws as Tinystar delivered his verdict. They had spend a considerable amount of time figuring out what the best thing to do was, and although she felt confident that the options he had given Maplepaw were fair, she was unsure how the Clan would handle it, whether they showed their opinions outwardly or not. There was also no way to predict how the apprentice herself would react. After all, she had left of her own accord without a word to a single cat in the Clan.

Sandblaze's words did not come entirely as a surprise to her, though his words were a bit stronger than she expected. "Sandblaze, please," she addressed him, shooting a stern look his way. "Calm down. This is Maplepaw's decision to make, and no one else's." She did want the young she-cat to remain in SkyClan, and was thankful that Tinystar had decided to at least give her the option to stay, but she also didn't want Sandblaze to be punished in addition to Maplepaw and Lightfang.


.  .  .  .  .

Daylily looked on with both interest and concern as Maplepaw was put on the spot. Why she deserved the choice of remaining in SkyClan, she could not discern; the apprentice was a traitor and should therefore be exiled without question. She had already proven that she wasn't loyal to SkyClan. She didn't agree with her father's ways, but she knew she had to stay by his side, unlike Maplepaw. The young warrior held her tongue and waited for the apprentice to make a decision.

Maplepaw heard the word treason. Surely, what she'd done couldn't be treason? But no cats had gotten murdered recently, so she supposed it had to be about her. She obediently walked forward, refusing to make eye contact with anyone. If Tinystar thought her a traitor, then let him. She didn't care what a kit-sized excuse for a leader thought about h- Wait, where did that come from? Sure, he was tiny, hence the name, but he had to have his reasons. And he'd been leading longer than Maplepaw had been alive. So he had to know what he was doing. Then came the verdict.

Exile. Maplepaw was going to be exiled. If I was acting like a kit, why are you sending me off? The pure shock of the reality of it nearly stopped her from hearing the next part. "Or... you will be granted the opportunity to stay." Her only hope died with his next words. She'd start her apprenticeship over again. She was already dreading it. It sounded so closed in… so suffocating. A bunch of big fat rules with some cats she liked, or complete and utter freedom… and if she didn't cross the border, she could still see them. It was an easy choi-

"If you leave, Maplepaw, I will never forgive you. Ever."

Never? But… she would be free. She'd get what she'd always wanted… at the sacrifice of her brothers. She'd never be as good as them under these rules. That was the price to pay. Was she really willing to break her brother's heart for freedom? Betray her family and become a hated rogue..? Was that really what she wanted?

It was an ultimatum. One she didn't know how to respond to. Who did she value more? Herself or her brothers? She didn't look back at any of them, so only Tinystar could see her face. She focused on a knot in the tree he stood on, trying to choose. One option taunted her with the very thing she left for. The other… confinement. But maybe she could find happiness here. Joy knowing her siblings were by her side, and the reliance of a medicine cat for when she got hurt. But being born in the mountains, she just knew… there was so much out there. She wanted to explore, to be free. But how would she explain it to the Clan? They didn't understand. They'd be so relieved if she stayed…

So why didn't it feel right?

She would be happy that her siblings were happy, of course. She would be happy to spare her mother the worry. She'd be happy that Tinystar's hope in her was regained. But she'd be left to relearn everything. She'd start over from when she was first apprenticed, which already was so long ago. And it was daunting. She was sure the rules would be stricter on her, which was nearly sickening. All she'd wanted to do was make a friend. How had it come to this? She lifted her head to find Tinystar.

" I accept your punishment." She didn't quite know which one. Would the Clans make her happy? Would exile? Nobody really wanted her gone, as Lightfang had said. But Tinystar didn't seem to. He'd called her a traitor, and a kit(basically). She supposed it was better than…. Other options… but she didn't like the choice. If he'd chosen one, she'd have accepted it, but she was not a good decision maker. But in her heart...

"I choose…" She still didn't look back at anyone. She had made her decision, as hard it was to make that choice. But sometimes, she had to sacrifice things she wanted for more important things. She couldn't have both- her family and freedom. But she could have one, and it was now obvious. She let out a breath and took in another. Let him think she was a bad cat. Let them all think it.

"Exile."

Tinystar’s voice split the tension in the air, delivering his judgment. Hearing it from Burningsun had been hard enough; now, Lightfang flinched as if Tinystar had struck him. Exile. SkyClan had no need for deserters. Before the fear could fully sink in, Tinystar provided another option. Relearn the warrior code (this time, so thoroughly it had to stick), start apprenticeship from the beginning, do menial chores for a moon. To Lightfang, it was an easy decision, but it wasn’t his to make. Instead, it rested in the paws of his impulsive, code-breaking sister.

Twice Maplepaw had explained herself in Lightfang’s presence. She had presented two different stories—one of an honest mistake caused by a lack of focus, one of resentment strong enough to drive her away. In trying to decide which one to believe, Lightfang had found a common thread: friendship beyond SkyClan’s boundaries. If she stayed, she would almost certainly live under strict observation well into warriorhood… There would be no room for cross-Clan meetings. But, his heart insisted, she has us. SkyClan was getting bigger by the moon; even Lightfang had managed to find cats he could be comfortable around.

Maplepaw’s back was to them, hiding her expression. Please, he thought, looking up at her, please, just think about it. Just this once. He wouldn’t dare open his mouth—he’d done enough harm—but he had never been so certain of what he wanted to say. Stay with us.

In the quiet, it seemed as if she was thinking. She raised her head to face Tinystar, holding herself with confidence that seemed too dignified to truly be Maplepaw’s. Finally, she was taking something seriously. Had her decision to leave SkyClan the first time carried the same weight? Lightfang’s paws dug into the dirt. He hadn’t been there; he didn’t know…he would never know the truth.

”I choose…exile.”

Lightfang blinked. For all the anger, worry, terror he’d felt in the days leading up to this, there was nothing left. Some far removed part of him wanted to find Firflower. He remained where he sat, breaths coming soft and quick. Mumblefoot had been wrong. No, Lightfang had been wrong. He’d fought like he was supposed to, for what he thought he was supposed to fight for, and he had failed. His family was as fragmented as before. Maplepaw would never set foot on SkyClan lands again. A chill settled over him; he broke out of his stillness to pull his tail close, staring blankly forward as tears built in his eyes. His sister—Maplepaw had made her decision. He couldn't raise a paw to stop her.

Swallowflight listened intently, copper gaze fixated on Tinystar as the leader spoke. As the leader stated his terms, he cast a nervous glance to his brothers, and then back at Maplepaw. His heart leaped into his throat at the word exile, and his eyes widened. No..no, it couldn't be. They had just gotten her back, how could they lose her again?! He stood up, fur bristling as he prepared to protest, but Tinystar continued. "Or..you will be granted the opportunity to stay." Relief swept over him as the words left the short-legged tom. He was showing mercy. Thank Starclan..they really had heard their prayers. He flashed an encouraging smile at his sister, even though she was turned around. It was a light punishment, going through training again with extra supervision. His sister might've been naive, but surely she'd take this option. The only thing she'd have to sacrifice was inter-clan relationships and a bit extra time. That didn't matter though, she had them. Her true family.

Wrong. Maplepaw remained silent for a long, concerning time. His smile faded the longer she took to say something. "She couldn't..possibly be thinking this over, right?" He thought, eyes narrowing as he watched her raise her head. The words that left her maw shocked him. "I choose...exile." The world around him was silent; not a mouse squeaked, or a bird cawed, or a cat spoke. Everything was quiet, as if the forest itself was stunned by what the she-cat had just said. His jaw fell agape, horror shining in his gaze at what just came from her mouth. His mind was reeling as he tried to wrap his head around what had just happened. Maplepaw had just..chosen...exile over her own family. Over him, over Firflower and Sandblaze and Lightfang.. "No, no she doesn't. She can't..she.." he hopelessly tried to convince himself otherwise. Maplepaw wouldn't leave them on purpose, right?! She wasn't thinking! She couldn't be abandoning them, not after everything they had gone through together! "Please Maplepaw, tell me this is a joke! Say sike right now, or a pun maybe! Please tell me you're joking!" He meowed desperately, hurrying towards his sister's side. When he met her gaze and saw the intensity in them, he knew that she wasn't messing around. She really chose exile over her own kin. Swallowflight gasped, taking a stunned step backwards as tears distorted his vision. The burden of keeping their family together had suddenly fallen onto his shoulders again. The familiar heartache bloomed in his chest, its thorny vines of pain spreading throughout his whole body until he was a trembling, crying mess. He couldn't do this again. He wouldn't be able to handle the agony all over. He couldn't suffer in silence while Maplepaw sauntered out of their lives, free of the chains that once bound them together. No. If he was going to suffer, she was going to take some of that pain, whether she liked it or not.

He chuckled, a sad smile etching itself onto his face until he was laughing. Not a forced laugh when the ginger tabby said a dumb joke, or an amused laugh when he watched kits chase each other through camp. No, this was the laugh of a tom that had just experienced his worst heartbreak yet. He felt as if Maplepaw had just shattered him, and the fragments of his heart now laid in the sand. "You're so funny, Maplepaw! Always had a joke up your fur. Now it's time for me to tell one of my own. You." His gaze hardened as he slowly circled around his former kin, eyes blazing with fury. She was going to pay for all the moons of worry she had wrought onto their family. She was going to pay for it all. "You have no idea how long we've been looking for you, Maplepaw! We spent moons flipping over every rock, looking in every tree, and sticking our noses into every thornbush. We all thought you died, Maplepaw," his voice cracked as he spoke, and he felt the need to stop. Should he stop? No, he must resist. These words needed to be said. She had to know what they went through. "And then, thank Starclan, you came back! We immediately welcomed you with open arms. Even Tinystar up there gave you a chance to stay. But what did you do? You threw it all away! For what?!" He paused right in front of her and poked her chest with a claw. "Well, what are you waiting for?! Answer me. Why are you doing this to us! Hasn't mom suffered enough? Haven't we suffered enough?!" Before Maplepaw had the chance to answer, or react for that matter, claws raked down her right(??) eye and cheek. Blood immediately welled around the wound, but Swallowflight held no visible remorse. His chest heaved with heavy breaths as his now blood-soaked claws dug into the earth, tears rapidly streaking down his cream fur. "This will serve as a reminder of what will happen if I ever, see you again," he meowed, terrifyingly calm, "you are no sister of mine. You are no sister of Lightfang or Sandblaze. You are no daughter of Firflower. I hope that you burn, traitor." With that said, the Skyclan warrior turned on his heel and marched out of camp, shoving past anyone who tried to stop him. Camp was suffocating. He just needed a break from everything. From his burden, from his family, from his clan, from everything. And nothing would stand in his way.