Bearing Bad News

Spiderquill's breaths were uneven and quick. How could Mistleshine have done this every moon? His first prophecy hadn't concerned him or his Clan, so he just passed it onto Sagelight and went about his life. But this time, the prophecy had RiverClan all tangled up in it. Worse, it directly involved Willowbreeze. He wasn't friends with the cat, by any means, but he knew her. He saw her every day. He'd taken her to the Moonstone. And now, he could be single-handedly ruining her life. He tried to rationalise it. She was the one breaking the Code, he was just doing his job. She knew the risks when she decided to be in a relationship with someone outside of her Clan. Spiderquill knew it wasn't his fault, but still the guilt ate away at his brain. He hadn't even done anything yet. He could just keep this to himself, not tell anyone... but that was just wishful thinking. He was already standing outside Ivystar's den, it was too late to turn back now. He gently brushed his shoulder against Thornpaw's, mostly for his own comfort, before hesitantly entering the den. He cleared his throat before beginning. "Uh, mom. I- we just g-got back from Highstones. I'm s-sorry if we woke you. There's- there's something you need to know. At Highstones, I-" He choked up, unable to continue. Why was he like this? StarClan, this was literally his job. He doubted Mistleshine burst into tears every time she shared news of a prophecy. He gulped down the lump in his throat, leaned gently against Thornpaw for support, and continued. "I recieved a prophecy, Ivystar. It c-concerned RiverClan." His heart beat like a rabbit's. He felt like he was betraying Willowbreeze. He didn't even know her, why did he care this much? He avoided Ivystar's gaze, waiting for her to respond.

Thornpaw was already there high tailing behind the furry and ever so panicked medicine cat. She had been walking beside him paws aching of a travel well spent. Going past the birds and seeing the other medicine cats had plagued her mind since they left Highstones in such a hurry. The way they all knew what they were doing although stiff in conversation the young she-cat couldn't help but to stare in wonder as they had things happen to them. Nonetheless her mentor of all cats had been more riled up than usual she could see his chest rise wildly. Running must have done that to him but she bit down her concern as the pair arrived at the mouth of Ivystar's den out of all places. Going to speak to a leader, well, this would be nothing of small concern. "Spiderquill finds it important for you to hear first." The brown tabby emphasised, opening her mouth for the first time since their travel. Kept in silence was an unspoken threat but to who exactly?

Ivystar had found it difficult to sleep since she was a mere apprentice, but in the moons since she'd become a leader, that hardship had only grown tenfold. While visions of plump fish and sparrows danced about her Clanmate's minds, she stared wistfully at the woven wall in front of her, breathing carefully as not to wake Honeytongue, who was sleeping gently on top of her, and Stormbringer, who was curled up by her side. When she heard the sound of her son's pawsteps making his way back into camp, she uttered a sigh of thankfulness that he and his new apprentice had made it home safely. What she didn't expect, however, was for them to march into the warrior's den and declare that they had received a prophecy- and that it concerned RiverClan, at that. She immediately nodded, trying her best to untangle herself from her mates without stirring their sleep. Once she had done so, she flicked her tail and motioned for the duo to follow her out into camp, where every warrior in the Clan wouldn't be subject to hearing what they had to say. Spiderquill was visibly distressed, and she was quite unsure of what to do- so, in an effort to comfort the tom, she shifted closer to him and curled her tail around his body. "Calm down, son. Tell me what happened."

Spiderquill took a forced breath, Ivystar's tail around him offering some comfort. He found tapping one paw on the ground rhythmically helped him concentrate, so he beat a steady rhythm into the dirt beneath his paws as he recounted his tale. "S-so, um. In my vision, I was a b-bird? A crow. I think. Anyway. I was in Carrionplace if I remember right, and I saw these two cats. I didn't recognise one of them. He was solid grey, a bit like mom. Uh- you know which one. A-and the other one..." He trailed off for a moment. This was his last chance to turn back. To pretend he was mistaken and just live with this knowledge for the rest of his life. This next sentence could ruin a cat's life forever... But he sucked it up and took another shaky breath. He was helping the Clan. "It was W-willowbreeze. She was visiting the other cat, they already knew each other. Then I appeared in- in the forest, and they were there again. I- Um, they didn't look like just friends." He looked up at his mother with glassy eyes. "I think they were- I think it was a code-breaking relationship. I'm sorry I had to tell you this." He hated himself for the lump in his throat, avoiding his apprentice's gaze so that she wouldn't see him like this. She would be a much stronger medicine cat than him, that was for sure.

Son? Thornpaw's stony gaze hardened twice fold when the clan leader made a surprised remark. The brown tabby wanted to put two and two together yet that wasn't fitting at the moment. Not with urgent news as the one her trembling mentor had been so keen on speaking forth upon. Spiderquill may have fumbled with the details but the works sunk in once they had been uttered. Gossip was something that tended to happen, the young apprentice was not inclined to follow in line of such behavior. The dusk furred tom did not - could not tell a lie if it meant displeasing another. She sorrowfully bowed her head in silence, delicate words and hushed tones, by starclan was she lacking in that aspect. Nothing in her mind explicitly stated what she had to do at a time like this other than to observe. Not like she could do much for she had not been able to see the vision like herself or get in touch with their starry ancestors. A detail nonetheless she could bring up when they were out of Ivystar's lair, her mates resting ever so peacefully in their nest.

Ivystar nodded as Spiderquill began, stuttering as he tripped over his sentences. It was truly a pain, knowing that he had to endure such tribulations. StarClan had never been... the easiest omniscient being to discuss such issues with. Her muscles tensed as she listened to Spiderquill, closing her eyes for a moment as she tried to quell her anger. Between clenched teeth, she uttered, "Thank you Spiderquill, Thornpaw. You may go." Her face burned with a fiery rage that she hadn't felt in moons, tail lashing with a fury unlike any other.

After several moments, the tabby she-cat managed to slow her breathing and her heart rate returned to a somewhat normal beat. With narrowed eyes, she walked back towards the warrior's den, hoping to see Willowbreeze resting there. With a great bit of relief (and a bit of angst) the she-cat released a sigh, eyes settled on the familiar pelt of the she-cat. She approached the sleeping warrior, gritted her teeth, and whispered, "Willowbreeze, meet me outside the den. Now." With that, she turned around and exited the den, pacing back and forth as she waited for the traitor to show her face.

Willowbreeze was curled up in her nest, sleeping.  She was suddenly waken by an urgent, angry hiss coming from outside the den.  Her head lifted when she heard her name, and she crawled anxiously out of the den.  She was met by a rageful Ivystar, and Willowbreeze's heart sunk lower than her paws.  She had a good idea what Ivystar wanted to talk to her about, for she had never seen her leader this angry.

Willowbreeze's whole body was shaking, and it took her all her self-control to steady herself.  She thought of Vinetail.  This is what she risked going to see him.  Although, she was very confused as to how Ivystar had found out, if that's why she was so angry.  She took a few subtle deep breaths, trying to act calm.  Willowbreeze didn't want to give anything away or look guilty, in case there was a different reason she had been confronted by her leader.

"Yes Ivystar?" she asked, trying to sound calm and innocent.

"I should drag your hind to ShadowClan and let them hear it directly from you and the filth that you've chosen over your own Clan."

Ivystar's tail stirred up the sand beneath where she sat, causing a light cloud of dust to settle between them. "You've been informed of the consequences for going against the Code of the Stars and the Code of this Clan. You went against my words directly. You've got an important decision to make, and I suggest you make it carefully." Her last words trailed off into a hiss, emerald eyes narrowed as she looked at the she-cat before her. "You will either spend two months confined to camp, leaving only for hunting patrols along with an escort designated by myself, or you will face exile. If you choose the former you are required to end the relationship with this ignorant ShadowClan tom, and you will only be permitted to leave alone once you have proven to me that you are able to do so with betraying the laws of this very Clan." Her eyes burned with fierce anger that she hadn't felt in many, many moons. "I expect an answer by sunhigh." She stated firmly, still staring Willowbreeze down from a foxlength away.

Willowbreeze was startled by the level of anger coming off Ivystar as she was being scolded.  As Ivystar stalked away, anger burned through her.  She hadn't even had a chance to explain herself!  She crawled back into the warriors' den, sleep being the last thing on her mind.  She had things to do, tonight, while everyone was asleep.