I Heard From a Friend... [C]

Frostgaze wasted no time after getting back from Nightpaw's moonstone trip. He was already exhausted, but Murkystar needed to know the information he had learned immediately. No mentor would be allowed to get away with allowing a predator to attack their apprentice, and the leader would have to choose the punishment. Yet with Burningwing having omitted this information... it could be more complex than he initially thought. Immediately upon seeing Murkystar he padded over with intent in his steps, tired as he might be. "Murkystar, I need to speak to you privately, it is urgent." His words were quick, and his tone serious. Nightpaw was obviously telling the truth, it would be strange to contradict himself this far after the fact. So that left only one possibility, one that he would need to speak with Murkystar about. Burningwing would have to answer for what he had done, but the severity was left to Murkystar, and Murkystar alone.

Murkystar turned at the sound of approaching pawsteps, and her eyes narrowed slightly as they landed on Frostgaze, looking exhausted despite the fire burning in his eyes. What had the deputy so worked up? She nodded, motioning towards her den with her tail. "Okay. Follow me to my den, we'll speak there." She mewed, leading the way into the dark den and turning to look back at Frostgaze, sitting down. "What's going on? Didn't you just return from taking Nightpaw to the Moonstone? Did you run into trouble?" She asked, trying to keep her voice steady as her mind ran through possibilities.

"Nightpaw is fine, do not worry for him. However, he did give me some information about Burningwing that is... troublesome." The white deputy began speaking as soon as they had reached Murkystar's den, not wishing to worry the cat. She was a mother first, he could understand that. "It appears that both Nightpaw and Burningwing omitted information about their first outing, where Nightpaw was attacked by the owl. Burningwing allowed him to be attacked. For what reasons, I am unsure. I believe that Nightpaw underestimated the severity of what he told me, however. If he had known, perhaps he would have told either of us earlier." Frostgaze paused for a moment in silent thought, then continued. "Nevermind that I suppose, the true question is what happens now. No mentor should simply allow their apprentice to be injured. Even if Burningwing did help, in the end, to bring down the owl, allowing your own apprentice to be attacked cannot stand, no matter what training exercise he wanted to do." His white tail thumped against the ground, and while his voice was tom's voice was as cold as usual, there was a clear agitation about him.

Murkystar relaxed as Frostgaze reassured that Nightpaw was alright, but straightened as Burningwing was brought up, quickly recalling the events following Nightpaw's first excursion out of camp with his mentor. She blinked as he revealed what he had been told, tail tip twitching as it was admitted that Burningwing had in fact done something. She had doubted her gut at the time, believing that she had overreacted, and now she was finding out that her reaction had been totally appropriate. She was silent as Frostgaze continued, nodding in agreement as he finished speaking. For a heartbeat, the only sound was both of their tails thumping off of the ground underpaw before Murkystar sighed. "I couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss, but I had hoped I was wrong. I hoped that Nightpaw would be safe with him, given his lack of outsider blood, but apparently we can't trust Burningwing even with the most pure of us." She spat, angrily rising to her paws to pace as she thought. She wanted to banish him, to sentence him to face leaf-bare without the security and safety of a clan and it's numbers through leaf-bare, but he had still helped... Eventually. The owl could have easily carried Nightpaw off though, and if it had been any other cat he may not have helped at all. "Burningwing will not be allowed to leave camp without at least two other warriors of my or your choosing. Cicadapaw should be able to become a warrior soon, but until then if they are training there will be at least one other mentor and apprentice pair with them. Additionally, he will not be allowed to attend the next Gathering, and the truth of what happened will be revealed to the clan, along with his punishment. Is there anything else you think should be done?"

Frostgaze was unsurprised by Murkystar's own anger, and the punishment she laid out for Burningwing. It was fair, though he found himself wishing it was harsher. That was, of course, personal bias. He could not let that control him. A simple nod came from the deputy. "No Murkystar, that seems to be a fair punishment. Any harsher and it could seem like bias would have altered the punishment, in all fairness. Perhaps I will have a talk with the apprentices about reporting unsafe training to you or I as well. While I trust the warriors of this clan, I do not wish for apprentices to feel powerless when it comes to any wrongdoing that may occur in their presence. No though, to be back on topic, the punishment fits the crime." Frostgaze sat for a moment longer, before standing and preparing to leave. "Is there anything else Murkystar?"

Murkystar nodded in agreement, and pride glimmered in her chest. Frostgaze had been a good choice in deputy. "I think that's a great idea, they need to know that they can always turn to us, no matter what." As Frostgaze turned to leave, she shook her head as he hesitated. "No, not for now at least. If I think of something more I will let you know. For now... I'll plan for the announcement. Thank you, Frostgaze." She mewed, lowering her head as she dismissed him before turning to stare hard at the wall of her den with a sigh.