A rush and a torrent of blood and abhorrence [OPEN]

Morningstar lead Skyclan back to camp discovering that he did still know where it was. It was his home once, after all. It would be his home again, it looked like, though he admittedly had more interest in Thunderclan and Waterlily at this point. He had only one purpose for being here, and that purpose was sleeping in the elder's den most likely. He was silent for most of the trek home, his zombie horde doing his bidding and forcing Skyclan cats to come along. The forest itself had changed little since he'd been here last. What a perpetual place of tormet this was... first a fire, and now a dreadfully long leaf-bare to prevent the forest from growing again back to it's fullest glory. Maybe its exactly what Skyclan deserved. "I'd like to see Wolfcall too if he's still alive. We have some unfinished business." The last leader of Skyclan that had ordered Morningstar's death warrant, though he had been "Dawnhawk" then.

Once the camp came into view, a rush of emotions and memories came roaring to life in Morningstar's head. His ears pinned back and he barely stifled a growl. His fur bristled and his claws flexed in his paws. One thing he did notice was the amount of branches and needles all over the outside of camp... a warning system? Bloodstar had been busy. He took a breath to calm down before he looked once more at his silver sister. "Is that meant for me? I'm honored. I won't go around it, not after all of the hard work you've all put into it." He grinned, his teeth flashing in what little light there was and his eyes narrowing dangerously. He walked directly onto the twigs and needles, making as much noise as he could. Let whatever Skyclan cats were left try and stop him. Let them try.

"Order, come up here I want to show you this place!" He called out to the Forgotten Order. He had no doubt that his voice was heard... and likely recognized by anyone who had stayed behind in camp. He didn't care if other cats ran away. He knew that Smokefeather could not. He would savor this, let her be terrified, and save the elder's den for the last place he would visit. Starting at one end of the camp, he pointed with his nose to each den as he passed them.

"That's the nursery, I was born there, as almost all Skyclan cats were.... hi." He had meant to pass it by, but he spotted two queens inside. Honestly... both of them nearly made him forget what he was doing. Where were these two hot babes when he was still living here?! Or alive at all, rather. He cleared his throat and shook his head, choosing to forget about pretty she-cats for now... especially with his family right behind him. "Anyway moving on... uh... right! The medicine den is right there. I don't know who the medicine cat is right now, apparently not Beechfang." His sister had corrected him on her name... which he felt dumb not making that connection sooner. He'd been a little distracted lately.

"Warrior's den... Apprentice's den... Leader's den, which is now my den." He padded passed them, now approaching the elder's den. He half expected her to jump out and try to fight him, not that it would matter. He stepped up to the entrance and stopped, peering into it with a cold, hardness in his eyes that hadn't been there just a moment ago. He was quiet for a few heartbeats, simply staring at his mother. She had grown old and frail, not at all like Bloodstar. His father had been aging, but he had still be a well-muscled tom.

"The elder's den... and Smokefeather inside it. My mother." He spat the word as if it were something foul. He waited a second longer before stepping back from the entrance to the den. He left plenty of room for her to come out if she wished. "You've been given the tour of the camp, we can tour the territory tomorrow. Get sleep, I'm sure you're all tired." Confident that Smokefeather couldn't run from him, Morningstar leaped on top of the leader's den. He hadn't even thought about there being a Tallbranch replacement. The undead cats surrounded the camp, not allowing anyone to leave once more. There were several left to challenge any warrior that got too enthusiastic about attacking Morningstar.

"Let all cats old enough to climb a tree gather in front of the leader's den for a clan meeting!" He yowled out unapologetically, though likely all warriors were awake by now. "That includes the elders, Smokefeather!" He added with a growl.

---

Wildfang had been sound asleep when the awful cacophony of twigs snapping and an unfamiliar voice woke her from her sleep. Confused and heavily pregnant, she bristled. She nudged Lynxpetal with her hind foot, unsure if the other queen was awake or not. She peered out from the nursery just in time to have her own blue eyes meet two others, one being clouded over. Her first instinct was to hiss and spit and tell him what an ugly, rude pile of foxdung he was... until she saw the gaping wound in his neck. He just kept bleeding... and bleeding... and bleeding... yet he acted as if he never even noticed. The rest of Skyclan was with him... or at least a lot of them were. Where was everyone else? What was going on?

Her expression went from spitting angry to one of frantic, terrified confusion. She spotted Ashstorm, the deputy, and her heart hammered. No Bloodstar? "What is happening?
Who are these strange-" Shadows moved in the distance.... no... the shadows had eyes. Then the smell finally hit her: Death. Decay. Her ears flattened and her back arched. Her tail fluffed out to three times it's original size. She didn't know what she was looking at, but she could sense the evil radiating off of them. A sudden call for a clan meeting... not by Bloodstar, but by that... whatever that was. It looked like a cat, but how could it be?

Terrified and unsure of what to do, Wildfang stepped out of the nursery. For once she didn't notice the cold. She took a seat at the very edge of the clan. If she wasn't so close to giving birth she would have attacked. Not all of these strangers were unnatural horrors... some of them were just ordinary cats.

Beechfang plodded along beside Dawnhawk, head and tail low. She said nothing as they crossed the territory and neared camp, the only outward sign of her rage being her bristling fur and unsheathed claws.

"Grandfather is gone." She stated flatly, a flash of anger sparking to life in her eye. At least Wolfcall wouldn’t be killed by his own grandson again. Dawnhawk proceeded to trample over the warning system that Bloodstar had put in place, and Beechfang silently stepped into camp, eyeing the dead shadows skulking around with distaste. Surely his rogue kits couldn’t possibly follow him after all of this... But then Beechfang had known some pretty stupid cats in her life. She was just as unhappy with their presence as she was with the undead as Dawnhawk began giving them a tour of the camp. He neared the elder’s den, and dread was a heavy pit in Beechfang’s stomach. The feeling had only increased from when he’d spoken during the gathering, and Beechfang almost wished that this was the nightmare that Shrikestep would bring her out of. Shrikestep, every bit the deceiver that Dawnhawk was.

Dawnhawk’s yowl cut into her thoughts as he called the clan for a meeting, and Beechfang’s lip curled. Just as she had when he’d been named deputy, all she could feel was anger, except this time the hopelessness of the situation had sank in much faster.

---

Smokefeather flinched awake at the sound of Dawnhawk’s voice, rising to a half-crouch as she stared out of the den into a dark camp. Clanmates filtered into camp from the gathering, but immediately she could sense the fear and tension in the air. Her fur lifted instinctively, but before she could do anything else, Dawnhawk’s voice rang out above the clearing. A meeting... Smokefeather felt her stomach twist.

"Dawnhawk." Her tone was one of resignation, wrapped in disappointment and anger. "What have you done this time? And where is Bloodstar?" The dark creatures skulking through the shadows, the wound bleeding from his neck, none of this was natural. They evoked nursery tales of nightmares that no cat should’ve ever thought they would see walking among the living. And plenty of her clanmates had wounds on them when the gathering they were at should’ve been peaceful. Clearly it had been anything but.

She already had a sinking feeling about what Dawnhawk calling a meeting in Skyclan camp meant. Maybe once he got what he wanted he would leave the rest of the clan be rather than taking out his frustration on them.

Beechfang stalked over, pointedly standing between Smokefeather and Dawnhawk. She looked angry, her mother noted, but the dominant emotion across her grizzled expression was one of fear. Beechfang had always been one to use anger as a shield. It had been a long time since she’d seen genuine fear etched onto her daughter’s face.

Her heart sank.

Ashstorm stayed near Morningstar and Beechfang.  She was guessing this would end poorly quickly.  Beechfang was pretty impulsive, but she also was reasonable enough where Ashstorm guessed she would not do much considering what happened to the other cats.  Still, she was prepared to be wrong and to help her sister if she needed it.  One more name came to her mind to which she was even more fearful for: Smokefeather.  She knew what happened between the two when Morningstar was younger and "a different cat" according to him.

She followed into Skyclan camp, while Morningstar started showing around all the Forgotten Order around camp.  Watching as he went to each den and flinching when he reached the elders and leaders den.  Her jaw was slightly shaking.  She was not saying a word.  She did not know what she could say.

A voice broke through her thoughts.  She turned her head to see a confused queen in the nursery looking at her.  She walked towards Wildfang, who was not very far away, and prepared to answer the questions.  She was near to giving birth, Ashstorm could tell, she especially did not deserve to have all of this happening.

She stood next to Wildfang as she exited the nursery.  She needed to tell her the truth, Wildfang deserved to know.  "It, um-" She started, attempting not to cry.  "I'm sorry."  There was a bit of a pause.  She was even trying to wrap her head around all that had happened.  It did not even seem real.

"Dawnhawk, or Morningstar as he goes by now apparently, came to the gathering.  With him, a group of cats..."  She looked around at the dead cats that walked with them and flooded the camp.  "They are Dark Forest cats."  She paused a moment, letting all that information sink in before she was going to flood her with more.  Now, water was starting to dripping from her eyes.  "Skyclan lost some good cats there too.  Pigeonsun and... and Bloodstar, I don't know what actually happened to him.  They came in saying that Starclan was dead.  Morningstar killed him, he hasn't come back yet."

She sighed.  "I won't give up, but..."  She shook her head, not about to finish that sentence.  "I'm sorry. Morningstar has made himself leader."

She had heard Morningstar asking them to gather.  She sat near the leader's den.  She could not believe what was happening, her mind would not let her.  Her eyes were red from pain and tears, but she looked up at Morningstar with anger.  She betrayed her again.  She had always given him a second chance, he would never get one again.

A cold silence followed SkyClan from the Gathering, the long walk back home more tense than she'd ever remembered. Even their return home after the war with WindClan hadn't been quite so... ominous. She'd been an apprentice then, barely, and the fear and chaos of that battle didn't even come close to... whatever this was. Spottedfrog was silent as SkyClan trudged through the snow, her heart as numb as her paws. Pigeonsun was dead... struck down by Dawnhawk - no, Morningstar? - as if he were of no consequence. All the work she'd done to protect him, the moons she'd spent, just to get him back home... wasted in a heartbeat. If she could feel anything right now, it would be grief, but Spottedfrog couldn't even muster the energy for tears.

It wasn't supposed to be like this.

Bloodstar hadn't resurrected, and the sky was still dark and unpromising. "StarClan is dead!" the monsters had howled. She didn't believe it, then... but now? It was the only thing that could be the truth. And that meant that her father was gone for good. That thought alone, was a vicegrip on her heart, and as she lingered towards the back of the pack, with a stinking, dripping zombie on her heels, Spottedfrog willed herself to cry, to scream, to do something... but she couldn't. It was no use. SkyClan - all the clans - had lost this game before they even known they were playing. Ahead of her, as the clan pushed through the tunnel and into camp, Spottedfrog spied her mother's pelt. She took a step forward, towards her, but sudden indecision stilled her paws. No matter how desperately she wanted to sink into Briarthorn's pelt, to curl beside her like she'd done as a small kit, and feel safe, and protected, it was... foolish.

Love was a weakness. Love made you a target to these creatures, who were only evil and darkness and pain... and so her instinct begged her to follow Briarthorn, or Newtspring, instead Spottedfrog hung her head and separated from the group, slinking over to a cold, shadowed portion of the camp and sinking to her belly in the snow. The monster that used to be her half-brother was shouting about something, parading around like he owned the place. She guessed he did, now.

"Let all cats old enough to climb a tree gather in front of the leader's den for a clan meeting!"

The words earned a dismissive flick of the ear from the young warrior, who made no attempt to move - she had no desire for any sort of companionship, and besides... she could hear the pretentious foxheart from where she was.

Slightfrost didn’t know what to do. He never thought dead cats could somehow attack live cats. He always thought that Starclan was just a dream that elders used to scare kits. He sat down and starred blankly ahead. This all had to be a very, very long nightmare.

Hawkstrike’s paws welcomed the feeling of the pine needles under his pads, his nostrils the scent of the territories he used to call home so long ago “I’m back home…” His voice was low, a whisper to himself as he stepped back into the clearing that made up the camp. It was all so similar yet so different, it would take him some time to get used to this, but hopefully not too long.

He followed Morningstar as he showed his Forgotten Order around, licking his nose. He didn’t need the tour, but he could appreciate seeing things from the perspective of another cat as well as getting an early start on meeting the cats now living in SkyClan and their conditions. Despite the cold, they seemed to be faring just fine…way better than in certain times back when his heart still beat against his chest and his fur didn’t give off the scent of disease and death.

His train of thought was derailed by Morningstar calling for a meeting, his green eyes glancing to the Leader’s Den with a flick of his ear. While he had been acting calmly neutral since they arrived, with a relaxed smile on his muzzle, he couldn’t help but let out a single chuckle out of pure amusement when he singled out one of the cats, an elder, that apparently went by the name of Smokefeather.

He really had more than just a couple bones to pick with several cats of the clan, didn’t he? He just hoped that wouldn’t bring over unnecessary resistance and plotting from those cats that could be easily convinced without bloodshed…if he retained one thing after all these years was his loyalty and unspoken appreciation towards SkyClan and he would rather not unsheathe his claws against those living under these pines. Enough blood had been already spilled at the gathering that day. He still felt he owed a debt to this clan in specific, one that had gone unpaid for far too long…and this was his second chance at seeing it paid…and this time the overly arrogant cats of StarClan wouldn’t thwart said attempts.

With a deep sigh, he walked towards the elder’s den, towards the elder she-cat that was snarling at her new leader “Smokefeather, I’m guessing?” His voice was calm and even somewhat friendly, but still full of the confidence a cat with many moons of experience and multiple battles under their paws could achieve “I know you have no reason to listen to me, even less trust me, and maybe a plethora of reasons to unsheathe your claws against me right now just for standing with Morningstar, who you call Dawnhawk, right now that I’m currently unaware of. However, I hope my words ring true for you when I say I don’t desire any further bloodshed, and I assume you are wise enough to know this is a fight you don’t want to pick right here and now…”.

He was not showing any aggression nor malice as he spoke, instead of trying to put himself at the same level as Smokefeather currently was. Talking to her, not as a conqueror or an overlord, but an equal, a clanmate worried for the wellbeing of the clan they consider home and the clanmates they see as a family regardless of blood ties. Whether he had a hidden agenda behind such actions or not is currently unclear and he could understand that, so he expected no immediate trust or even respect, just for the elder to not start to shake this wasp nest and encourage resistance or rebellion from the cats in camp or even those that just returned from the gathering. He moved, using his tail to signal her towards the group of gathering cats “…just listen for now, please”.

Calypso didn't want to be here.. She didn't like this. She left this clan.. this camp for a reason, but of course she was going to follow her father, after all he did request that the order follow them one last night, so she was going to follow the request for now. Once the morning came, she would head back to the barn, maybe regroup with the rest of her siblings. They still had the order to keep together... right? Surely the order would dissolve to fade into the clans.. right? She really didn't want that.

For once she wanted to feel bad for the skyclan cats but she couldn't bring herself to.. She couldn't help a slight twitch of her maw as Smokefeather was called out of the elder's den. What did Morningstar have in mind for her grandmother that he requested her specifically to be at the meeting? Calypso slipped to the edge of the crowd, not really wanting any attention on her. Azure eyes turning to Beechfang. What did she think of this? Did Beechfang hate her now for following her father? She was the one cat that she had liked previously when she lived with Skyclan. This probably ruined the relationship she had with the she-cat.

Morningstar watched the clan gather, some forcefully, but gathered they did. His ear swiveled toward Smokefeather's direction when she spoke. His ears flattened and his eyes hardened. A growl rumbled in the back of his throat and his claws scraped against the rocky top of the leader's den. "Don't you dare speak to me you filth!" Morningstar literally spat the last word, a spray of frothy spit flying from his lips. Just hearing her voice was enough to take him from a good mood to a bad one. He wasn't sure what to make of his unknown Dark Forest companion's words to Smokefeather, but he made a note to get to know him better later. His tail lashed back and forth and he gave the clan a few more minutes to take in their surroundings. Ashstorm at least informed the queen below what was going on.

Anyone else who didn't understand would know soon. After a sufficient time had passed, Morningstar took in a breath to calm himself back down. She didn't matter anymore... she wouldn't even be alive for much longer. He put on a large, toothy smile... though it would rapidly flicker from a smile to a snarl. His eyes were alive with fire and the intent to exact vengeance behind them.

"Skyclan! Long time no see. For those of you who know me, hello again! For those who don't... I am Morningstar, formerly of Skyclan and known as Dawnhawk at one point in my life. I was exiled, but no more. Now I am your leader, having killed your last one and killed Starclan too. He won't be coming back, I promise you. The Dark Forest now rules where Starclan used to and the faster you get used to this and accept it, the better. I have brought some help for those of you who share your previous leader's ideology and think resisting is a good idea. Test me and find out."

His eyes then went to Beechfang and then to Smokefeather.

"Beechfang and Smokefeather, come forward and stand next to each other." His tone betrayed nothing, but his eyes were harder than diamonds as he stared at them both. If they weren't feeling particularly motivated, the undead horrors at the edge of the Gathering would push them forward. While that was going on, he looked at the clan again.

"Skyclan, the hobbling she-cat you see before you is not who you think she is. She is the whole reason I am here. Not just physically, but standing before you as a Dark Forest cat. She set me on this path and no matter how much I tried to fight it or change, it was either her or Bloodstar that prevented me from taking a different route in life. So here I stand... and you can witness her pay for her mistake." His eyes dropped to Beechfang and a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

"Beechfang, we've had our differences, but because you are my sister I am going to give you another chance. You are assigned to be Skyclan's executioner, the first in history as far as I am aware. I sentence Smokefeather to death, for abandoning her kits and failing to fight for them when they needed her most. Kill her, or the entire clan will suffer the consequences and will fade into nothing but memory. You're either a monster or a hero, Beechfang. Choose."

The undead cats closed in tighter around the Skyclan cats. They were ready to spring at any silent command that Morningstar gave them. Now Morningstar waited, making a note to address the Forgotten Order afterward. There was the matter of discussing their leadership too, of which he intended to relinquish.

Slightfrost's head snapped up to watch Morningstar with a look of horror in his blue eyes -- and a bit of awe too. Was the tom so bold that his first command was to murder his mother? That was unheard of, but Morningstar had every right to do so. from what he heard, Smokefeather wasn't the best mother. neither was Slightfrost's father, so it only made sense for this newly-made warrior to look up to this bold and successful tom.

his gaze trailed to Beechfang's direction, a hint of interest in his eyes. what was the she-cat going to do now?

Ravenclaw sullenly followed the rest of SkyClan back to camp. It was their home, but it felt hostile with all the shifting shadows of undead Dark Forest cats and Forgotten Order members surrounding them. The warning system that had been set up was trampled underpaw, leaving a useless mess of twigs and leaves. The warning, of course, was unnecessary. She hadn't been able to retract her claws since they left the Gathering. Every muscle in her body begged her to spring at 'Morningstar' and kill him all over again, but she knew what would happen: she would be swarmed and murdered herself. So as much as she hated it, she resisted the urge, thinking of Wrenspring to keep her calm.

Of course, it was difficult to be calm when 'Morningstar' leaped up and called a meeting. Bloodstar should've been there, but he wasn't. She hissed lowly at the thought. If there was a StarClan, they had truly been abandoned.

"What?!" She couldn't help herself from hissing out in shock and indignation. Beechfang, to kill Smokefeather? What sordid foxdung was this? 'Morningstar' was out of his mind, but that wasn't surprising. This was the most evil cat she had ever had the displeasure of knowing, so this was just par for the course. Beechfang couldn't kill her... could she?

Aether remained silent, his gaze downcast, as he followed Morningstar. It felt like he was being torn in two. He loved his father, and wanted to follow him to the ends of the Earth, just like he always promised. But he didn't want this. Even he could see how wrong this was, but what could he even do about it?

Apparently Morningstar was giving a tour of the place, not that Aether was paying attention. He was just numbly following everyone else. Most of what was said fell on deaf ears.

The order Morningstar gave his sister did not.

His eyes widened in shock, looking up at his father. He....was trying to kill his own family? His own mother? And he threatened all of the Clan, dark forest cats closing in around them all. Did that include him, too?

"Pa, I thought we just wanted StarClan gone. Why are you doing all of this? I don't understand!"

The words came out before he could even stop them, and he immediately shrunk back. He just spoke out. But maybe if Morningstar just explained, it would be ok. He wouldn't have to be scared.

Now that the forgotten order would be staying in Skyclan for an unknown amount of time, Aoife was unsure whether she still needed to watch over Hollyshine. Either way, she followed her father on this tour of Skyclan camp, and couldn't help but wonder how long it had taken for them to build each den, or who's responsibility all the upkeep was. She may not have originally wanted to be a guard, but had committed herself to it to the point where it sometimes crossed her mind away from her own home. She was overseer, after all, even if that didn't mean much when she was the only one in her faction.

Most of the dens were expected, but a thought crossed her mind at the sight of the medicine den. Why don't we have one of those? The forgotten order was strong, but no doubt would be stronger if there was someone to heal their wounds, with the proper knowledge to do so.

Aoife couldn't help but notice how similar Smokefeather looked to herself and many of her siblings, but that did make sense. The way Klaus said her name made her slightly uneasy, as if this harmless-looking elder was the source of every problem in the forest. However, by the sounds of it, that was what he believed. 

After a kithood of learning to hate the clans, it felt almost surreal to stand in one of their camps, without being attacked at all. And she couldn't help but dislike how easily Klaus took his place as Skyclan's leader, as power-hungry as ever, but also with a familiarity, as if that was always where he was supposed to stand. A clan cat, through and through.

In truth, family was the only thing Aoife cared about. If power meant she could keep her family safe, then she would gladly accept it. If prey fed them and kept each one happy and healthy, she would hunt to her dying breath.

Every single thing that had happened in this camp since her arrival went against all that she stood for, and somehow it was about to get worse.

These were two cats she'd never properly met in her life, but kinship was enough to make her want to help. But she didn't.

She stood beside Aether, glad her brother had changed his mind about leaving, mostly because said action would likely lead to his death. "Aether." She hissed quietly. Although she had promised to not share his disloyalty with Klaus, there was nothing she could do if he publicly voiced his opinions like this.

---

Primroselight's legs were beginning to tire under the weight of Bloodstar, but she continued to hold her head up, as proud as ever. At last they reached camp, and the warrior had no choice but to gently slide her father to the ground, leaving his body where they could deal with it later. Burying him would end all chances of him resurrecting, but Primroselight was worried that was exactly what her brother had in mind.

She stayed in place as Dawnhawk gave his new family the tour. Unlike her sister, she hadn't yet met any of these rouge nieces and nephews, and part of her wondered what on earth he'd told them to keep them loyal. Chances were, although some of them may be as evil to the core as their father, not all of them followed the same pattern. But here and now, they were the enemy. A seemingly unbeatable one, but Primroselight was sure that couldn't be true.

No. She wanted to think he wouldn't dare but... there was nothing stopping him.

Every muscle in Primroselight's body screamed at her to do something, but she couldn't move. She lost cats before. She'd learnt how to deal with that, to work through it in her own way. But she didn't know if she could take this. Tears stained her cheeks, but she was too busy to notice them.

When Dawnhawk finished, Primroselight couldn't believe any of it. She wouldn't. But none of this was a dream. It was so, so much worse.

There was no telling what Beechfang would do for sure, but it was clear what Smokefeather would want. And it wouldn't be surprising if her daughter had no choice but to listen.

"Mum..." Her voice was barely a whisper as she readied to dash forward, only to be held back. From the stench of death that surrounded camp, at first she though it was a dark forest warrior, and whipped around, baring her teeth.

"It's me!" Muddythorn. Primroselight didn't apologize, but struggled slightly against her son's grasp. "Please!" He said, "Stay here with me," and she could tell from his voice that he was crying as well. "Please, we can't lose this much family in one day... I can't lose you."

Muddythorn knew there was no stopping what was about to happen - all he could do was make sure the same didn't happen to his own mother.

Primroselight had spent so much of her early life terrified she wouldn't be able to keep up with her littermates. When she had pushed those worries away, she had instead been focused on trying to stop Dawnpaw and Beechpaw and Dustpaw from bickering, seemingly about anything they possibly could. And now, many moons later, here she stood. A witness to what had once seemed like sibling rivalry fester into a vendetta that not only the whole clan, but their mother's very life was caught up in. And Primroselight was powerless.

Just like she always had been, without realising it. Her least favourite feeling, one she had always strived to avoid, was one that had followed her her whole life. Every time she had broken up an argument, it was never truly over. She'd put a damper on the anger and resentment, but all of it had reached its boiling point a long time ago.

But Muddythorn was right.

And Primroselight was still powerless.

Completely powerless.

She didn't need an answer to the question of where Bloodstar was after all. Smokefeather spotted the bloody mess that Primroselight had been carrying. Her expression clouded with grief at the sight of their leader's mangled pelt, at the blood soaking Primroselight, Driftcloud and Spottedfrog's fur. More of her clanmates had blood on them, too.

"Ah... You... Must've been gone for quite a while, then. I don't know what sent you to the dark forest, but it's nothing compared to what he's done. You might not desire bloodshed, but your desires mean nothing to Dawnhawk's need for retribution. Surely you can tell at least that much." Smokefeather eyed the cat that had approached and introduced himself as Hawkstrike. She found, that as cats began to gather before Dawnhawk, that she suddenly lacked the energy to be truly afraid. She knew full well why Dawnhawk would come back to camp, and his insult as she'd addressed him were not unexpected. Smokefeather was tired. Very tired of the failure that she had raised. If her words provoked him into attacking, she wasn't sure that she really cared. With blood gushing from his throat and the golden tom hardly reacting, with the dark shades that encircled camp, her fate was inevitable.

Dawnhawk's words were no surprise to anybody who had known the tom, at least, not the Skyclanners. The young, apprentice-aged rogues that were in the camp, Smokefeather could tell that some of them were at least horrified. Grandkits, by how similar their pelts were, and Smokefeather's eyes lifted, briefly meeting the gazes of the ones she could catch. It wasn't their fault that their father was a monster. Her gaze eventually found a familiar golden and white pelt among the cats as well, and Smokefeather suppressed a sigh. "Tornshadow... I owe you more than words can express in a simple apology." How long she'd wanted to apologize and feared that it was far too late to do so, and now her granddaughter stood in camp for the first time in seasons. Smokefeather didn't think her apology would change a thing, she'd be gone before this meeting was over. She knew that.

Her gaze turned towards Dawnhawk as he finished speaking. Execution... And Beechfang would be the one to deliver the blow. Smokefeather was under no illusion of how much of a choice her daughter had. Perhaps with her dead, the clan might see Dawnhawk's wrath turned elsewhere... Or maybe not. Either way, there was no escape for her this time. No patrol to come out of the bushes while Dawnhawk fled. Beechfang stood no chance of fighting him, none of them did. Resigned to her fate, Smokefeather lifted her head to address this creature that wore the skin of a cat that she'd once considered family. He wouldn't like what she had to say, and she was done caring.

"Don't act as if you had no choice. You were exiled. You could've done anything, gone anywhere. You chose to stay in the forest, you chose vengeance over starting anew somewhere else. Just as you chose betrayal of your clan and the murder of a defenseless kit. You could have walked away once exiled instead of constantly antagonizing others into going after you, but you couldn't do that if you tried, could you? Any attention is good attention to you, isn't it? I wasn't a perfect mother, but you-" Smokefeather's voice hardened as she stared up at the deranged tom, "made your own nest and have earned every bit of scorn and ire thrown your way. Congratulations, you have the dark forest just as you had Asylum. Like then, the only reason cats are subservient to you is because they fear your wrath, and that will be no true loyalty at all. The only cats you will ever have the true loyalty of are the mindless, shambling dead. Maybe your kits would, if they never knew of what you were capable of or haven't seen what you've become." She could see the fear reflected in their eyes, could see Tornshadow's discomfort. One of the rogues, a tom, spoke up, tone betraying an innocence that had been stripped from Smokefeather long ago. "Vengeance is a powerful thing, kit. That has been his only goal for a long time."

"No!" Beechfang spat, "I won't raise a paw against her. You're insane, Dawnhawk. She hasn't done anything but sit in the elders' den for seasons and you put her there! Isn't what you've already done to her- to all of us- enough?" Beechfang's tail lashed, but Smokefeather could see the fear that practically rolled off of Beechfang's fluffy pelt.

"You know it's not. It'll never be enough." Smokefeather sighed, gently leaning against her daughter's larger frame. "How many has he killed for the chance to get to me? I'm tired, Beechfang. Tired of the endless bloodshed and watching my clanmates and family hurt. You know better than to test his threats." Beechfang looked like she was going to cry. Or be sick. Smokefeather struggled to suppress the guilt she felt. It was her or the clan, and either way Smokefeather was going to die. Beechfang... Beechfang had no choice in this.

"Mom I can't just-" Smokefeather silently cursed the dark forest for the way Beechfang's voice shook, the defeated look in her eye. She knew the argument was already lost.

"You shouldn't be in this position, but neither of us have a choice." She sighed. "I'm proud of you, and Primroselight and Ravenclaw. You've all become warriors Skyclan can be proud of. Ashstorm, I know you'll lead the clan well." She spoke over Beechfang's protests. The stars were gone, and Smokefeather didn't know if Bloodstar would resurrect. Even if he did... Dawnhawk wasn't likely to let him live for long. And Bloodstar would try and fight if he could, because fighting was all Bloodstar knew. Stubborn, reckless fool.

A frustrated hiss escaped Beechfang, "I love you mom, but I can't do this." The scarred she-cat turned away... Only to be greeted with death staring her in the face. The dark forest cats were closing in on them, and escaping would be impossible. Still, Beechfang's gaze sought out her siblings, desperate for something, anything that would make this less real.

"End it. Please. Don't get the clan killed just to try and save one cat." She watched as Beechfang whipped around, disbelieving anger writ across her face. "You've given up."

Smokefeather lifted her head, baring the pale fur at her throat. "I have nothing else to give. End it." Closer the dark forest cats drew, and Smokefeather would jump at them instead if Beechfang wouldn't comply. It would be a slower death, she was sure, and she didn't think Dawnhawk, or Morningstar, would view her sacrifice as enough. He wanted Beechfang to suffer, he wanted the rest of the clan to suffer. And suffer they would.

"I'm sorry."

Beechfang's paw flashed upward, claws extending. Her guilt-stricken face was the last thing Smokefeather saw.

No starry afterlife greeted her.

Smokefeather has died.

Calypso stiffened as soon as Smokefeather's gaze found her. Shock filling her system to see that the she-cat didn't turn away, or try to hide again as soon as she appeared. She had been too used to it when she was younger it was weird to see the she-cat like this. The words reaching her ears almost seeming like a whisper as soon as the Calypso's mind registered them. She wanted to apologize..? The gold and white warrior remained frozen.

Other voices falling into the background, only a few words coming through to her mind in this frozen state. Execution.. Beechfang.. Smokefeather.. Monster.. Hero.. Given up.. Wide azure eyes turned to her father for a moment, before turning to Beechfang. Her feet seemed like they were rooted to her spot off to the side, forced to watch helplessly as Beechfang was forced to murder her own mother..

Stars.. thorns.. do something anything! Her mind screamed at her, but her body refused to move. Azure eyes looked to Beechfang, wide from everything going on in her mind right now. She wanted to leave, she didn't want to stay here..

But here she sat frozen in her spot, mind racing with conflict. Did she want to stay and watch the clan fall apart over this with some satisfaction of revenge for the way they treated her? Or did she want to leave to not be in the presence of those who wronged her, and these.. strange creatures surrounding her? Were they truly on her side?