Aftershocks [O]

"Oi! What's the big ideah?" the she-kit growled as she and one of her denmates -who she hadn't noticed until he had the misfortune of being dragged away alongside her- were suddenly being led away from the center of the gathering cats and into the sidelines as if they were weak and unable to understand anything the others were saying. Well... some of the things they were saying didn't ring any bells in her head but that's besides the point. She wasn't pathetic and neither was Skunkkit by the looks of it. In her squawking and fussing she hadn't really paid much attention to what the she-cat had told her during the sudden little trip.

Once Primroselight had stopped, Antkit scowled up at the warrior and her tail swung from side to side in irritation. It would've been a scary sight if she wasn't so tiny nor soft-looking. Her ears twitched in the direction of the tom-kit in agreement. "Yeah! It's not fair that we get left outtah everythin' just cause we're smaller and younger. We should be able tah watch and listen like everyone else! We'll be warriors of the clan one day and we should be able to help with the clan issues. Or let us at least watch! We can learn things from this! Isn't that what ah warrior should do?" she said as she puffed out her chest, ears folding back and paw stomping on the ground in indignation. The tiny molly looked a bit past Primrose and stared longingly at the squabbling that was happening just beyond their reach. If she weren't so small she'd race back over there but alas, she'd just get scooped up and taken away in a much more humiliating way. She had too much pride for that. After some tense moments, the she-kit finally deflated and looked away. At the warrior's request of their names she responded, "Name's Antkit." She shot her denmate a shrug and rolled her eyes. They need to start standing their ground better. Maybe others will listen.

"ENOUGH!"

Wolfstar's voice rang out across the camp, a command, not a request, and his amber-gold eyes narrowed as they swept across the small gathering of cats who had heeded Newtspring's call. The cacophony had awoken him far too soon after he'd fallen asleep, and as a result, the leader had jolted awake, already grumpy as he made his way to the entrance of the leader's den. But then the words had reached his ears, Briarthorn... murder... ThunderClan... He'd heard the tail end of Beechface's response to Newtspring, and everything after... and once the raging voices had quieted, he pinned his granddaughter with a stare that spoke of pure, unbridled disappointment.

Though his fur was spiked with rage at their audacity, Wolfstar forced his tone to remain calm. "I see that a bit of an unsavory rumor has made it into camp, despite my best efforts." His gaze slid to Newtspring, anger brimming within. "Why this warrior barely out of apprenticehood thinks he can question my judgement is beyond me," he snapped. "But since I have you all here, I'll do my best to explain."

Wolfstar's tail lashed so hard it slapped painfully against the side of the den wall. "Beechface had an omen from StarClan, one she shared with the medicine cat from ThunderClan. This omen implicated Briarthorn in the murder of a ThunderClan cat, Robinloft." He exhaled heavily, angrily. "Had Newtspring bothered to speak with me instead of acting like an impulsive kit, and shouting it to the stars, he'd know that Minkstar and I have already spoken about this, and are on our way to finding a solution that doesn't involve more murder."

The last few words were spat, and Wolfstar pinned his ears. "However, it would do all of you well to understand that killing is against the warrior code, yes, but sometimes, it is inevitable, especially in the defense of yourself or another. In Briarthorn's case..." he hesitated, making sure that he'd done the math correctly... "her defense was not only of herself, but of her unborn kits." This time, he had eyes only for Newtspring. "Tell me, grandson, which of your sisters would you sacrifice so that the ThunderClan cat, who battled your mother while she was pregnant, could live? Spottedfrog? Bearflower? Tell me now." Wolfstar didn't know the details, exactly, but any warrior who would engage in battle with a visibly pregnant she-cat (as she must have been, at the time the murder happened) was no warrior at all.

Without waiting for a response, the dark tabby continued. "Newtpaw, for the next moon, or until I change my mind, you and Beechpaw can share a den with the elders. See to their every need, and do not leave camp without my explicit permission - and a guide alongside you. Perhaps the time in camp will give you the opportunity to reflect on your places in this clan." He finally broke his gaze, and flicked it around camp, daring anyone else to interject. "Does anyone else wish to join them?"

"Of course you weren't aware, why am I not surprised." Beechface sneered under her breath, not caring at all if Bloodstrike heard. You are a hypocrite. Lilacstar's death was temporary, it doesn't count. Beechface glared at her father, lips curled into a silent snarl as he spoke.

Dawnfeather spoke up, attempting to be a voice of reason, though Beechface couldn't muster up the half-smile she wanted to give her niece. She made a good point but... There was also no doubt in Beechface's mind that Briarthorn was guilty. And she was right, Newtspring had the right to be angry and confused. Not that Bloodstrike gave a rat's tail, she was sure. Only one thing mattered to the clan's deputy, and the lives and valid feelings of his clanmates weren't it. Beechface's glance swung briefly to Muddythorn at his quiet words. "Perhaps I should have shouted it for all the clan to hear." She muttered to him darkly, the thread of anger in her voice unmistakable.

Wolfstar's voice rose above the crowd, and Beechface's glare returned to him as he spoke. So he'd been keeping information from her, too. How lovely.

"Good to know that you care enough to inform me of what you were doing, when the first thing I did was go to you with the information." She spat. She'd thought Wolfstar was trying, apparently she'd thought wrong. None of them were fit for leadership, and what a show the rest of the clan was getting.

His words to Newtspring were uncalled for, even as much as Beechface didn't even like her half siblings. Her claws flexed into the grass, but she said nothing. It didn't matter what reasons Briarthorn had to kill. She hadn't told anyone, and a lie by omission was still a lie by omission.

And there it was, she was being punished for things that weren't her fault. Her tail lashed back and forth, but Beechface said nothing. Confined to the elder's den? Not allowed out of camp? She was just fine not sleeping in the elder's den, and Muddythorn was fully trained. This would be as much of a test for him as it was a punishment for her, she decided.

Well, a moon spent hanging around mom wouldn't be so bad... If Newtspring tried not to aggravate her into breaking the code, that was.