when it gets too much [CLAN MEETING]

OOC: set right after this topic

Perchstar was exhausted. Dragging the soaked corpse back to camp had been no small feat. The stench of death was so strong that she had even needed several breaks just to step away and breathe, so she wouldn't retch all over her Clanmate's fur. That would be far too undignified. Yet, despite the effort, she finally made it. Panting, she lay Cloverheart's body down, right by the roots of the willow tree. Who would murder a medicine cat? And not even bother to cover up their crime? The sense of rage that had been slowly burning in her over her long trek back home had nearly reached a boiling point. Such anger was not familiar... but it was necessary. Justice would be served, no matter the cost.

"I give you this life for justice. Use it to fight back against all who would try to take advantage of you. Use it to avenge the fallen." She would not let SkyClan get away with this... not even if it cost her own life. Though she hoped that it would not come to that.

After bowing her head in respect to Cloverheart for a moment, Perchstar leapt atop the Willow Branch, a stone-cold anger evident on her face. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own fish gather for a Clan meeting!"

There were no guessing games as to what this meeting was about. Even a kit could figure it out, let alone a grown warrior like Dovesight. Even cowards had eyes. Although oddly enough, she wished she was blind in this moment.

Seeing their only medicine cat motionless in front of the Willow Branch.....

What would happen now? Was RiverClan doomed? Was this just the start of an attack against the whole Clan? Leave them defenseless so they could be torn apart? Dovesight had to keep herself from shaking as she sat down, although she could not hide the fear in her eyes as they met the anger in her leader's.

Owlshriek's dreams were shattered at the chattering of his clanmate's voices. Ears flat against his head, the tom slid out of the den, his tail lashing. Yellow eyes landed on the form of the cat who had healed his wounds, who had spoken sense into him about StarClan.

He didn't know Cloverheart well, but, he knew the connection to the stars above. A cat who was a bridge between their world and the endless one of their ancestors. A cat that was protected under the warrior code.

The dark tabby stepped towards Perchstar. He didn't say a word, but his eyes bore into her own. He refused to let this happen to RiverClan again. They couldn't keep getting pushed by other clans. Cats getting killed, mauled... The warrior stood tall, muscles bunched. If Perchstar didn't do anything about this, Owlshriek would. But, catching a glint in her eyes, he nodded. Nothing was stopping them from holding the killer accountable.

Once a suitable number of her Clanmates had gathered, with varying levels of grief and anger on their faces, Perchstar spoke once more. "As you can see, Cloverheart is dead," she began, her tone a little more subdued than normal. "She was a valuable asset to RiverClan, a friend to both young and old, and she has saved many of our lives. Tonight-- after we return from the Gathering-- we will hold a vigil for her. I mourn her, and the many services that she has done for each of us." Once more, the leader bowed her head, letting a moment of silence wash over the camp. After a scant few days of peace and sunlight... death had once again come to RiverClan. Mallowmist, Otterdance, Flurrypaw, Hollyleaf, and now Cloverheart. When would her Clan finally know stability? And now, without a medicine cat, what were they to do?

Still, now was no time to show uncertainty. She had to be strong, and show that she could deal with such things. A leader would have to, after all. Perchstar raised her head and straightened her shoulders. "Unfortunately, Cloverheart's death was not of natural causes. She was murdered." At the word, reminding her of the initial moment of discovery, a deep anger began to surface in her normally calm gaze once more. "I found her body in the river. I believe-- I believe that she was drowned. The wounds in her shoulders look like someone held her down and pushed her head into the water. It seems like the murderer, whoever did this, thought that they could get away with killing a medicine cat. They thought wrong." It took all of her strength to stabilize her voice back into a calm, matter-of-fact tone. Fury was still evident, just buried deep under her normal neutrality. "I am not an idiot. When I came upon Cloverheart's body, I looked around for clues as to who could have committed such an awful crime. I found two. First-- the scent of SkyClan. Not only was she found downstream of the SkyClan border, but deep under the smells of death and river water, there is a faint trace of SkyClan scent. And then..." Perchstar gracefully leapt down from the Willow Branch, landing next to the medicine cat's corpse. Gently, carefully, she reached out a single white paw and eased the last piece of evidence from between Cloverheart's claws. "A scrap of fur, from another cat. It looks like it came from a silver tabby. And, sure enough, it also carries the scent of SkyClan."

Perchstar found herself studying the body for another moment. Just hours ago, it seemed, Cloverheart had been alive... as strong and opinionated as ever. The words of comfort and courage she had offered on the journey to the Moonstone had been a much-needed light in her moment of darkness. It seemed that the leader would never get to thank her for that. Grief started to weigh her down again-- but she shook her head. Now was not the time. She was the leader of RiverClan, and she needed to act like it. "Due to both of these evidences, it is easy to tell that a SkyClan cat murdered Cloverheart. Who did it, and why? I don't have an answer for either question. But hopefully, we will know soon." She raised her icy blue gaze from the cream and russet corpse back to the faces of her Clanmates. Her living Clanmates. They felt the same rage, the same drive for justice she did, didn't they? They wouldn't let this go unpunished. Neither would she. "As you know, the Gathering is tonight. While I would love to walk over to SkyClan right now and demand an answer, it would be more convenient, and more respectful, to wait. I will ask Bloodstar to speak with me. He cannot deny me, not in front of the other leaders. Then, whether we talk right there on the Great Rock, or whether a few of us accompany him back to SkyClan, or whether we confront him tomorrow-- we will find an answer. We will have justice. Whoever murdered Cloverheart will receive punishment... if not from Bloodstar, then from me." Her heart pounded, but conviction followed every word she spoke. This was not a simple border altercation with an overcrazed young warrior. This was murder. And not just any cat-- their medicine cat. Their only medicine cat. Their only bridge to StarClan in the days when, perhaps, it was needed the most. Why now? Stars, why now? Perchstar sighed. Making a potential enemy during her first Gathering as leader was certainly not ideal. "I cannot guarantee that Bloodstar will cooperate. However, I will try my best to make him see reason. In the meantime, I ask that you continue to be cordial to cats of any other Clan at the Gathering. Please, do not make any more trouble. Do not complicate this further, or we may lose our best chance at justice without innocent bloodshed." She locked eyes with a few cats whose anger she had seen-- Brookpaw, Owlshriek. Hopefully they would heed her words. "For now... we will be gracious. However, if it turns out that SkyClan is willingly harboring Cloverheart's murderer, then I will see to it that they live to regret that choice." She sat down, wrapping her tail around her paws, as exhaustion from the long trip back began to set in. "That is all for now. If you have any questions, feel free to ask." Her gaze wandered over to that of Poppyshine. Her deputy. Should I have asked her first? "What do you think, Poppyshine?" she inquired quietly, hoping that she had not overstepped in her anger.

Stormpaw had been in the middle of helping the elders when the clan meeting was called. He was quick to finish up what he’d been doing so he could join his clanmates at the Willow Branch. It took him a minute to see what the meeting was a bit through the quickly-gathering cluster of his clanmates, but after he found his seat next to Owlshriek, his eyes landed on the body.

Immediately Stormpaw recoiled just a bit, digging his claws into the ground to keep himself steady. Cloverheart. He’d only spoken to the medicine cat in passing, but she had seemed kind, and… how could anyone hurt a medicine cat, regardless of their clan of origin? Stormpaw had never seen a dead body before. He was far away from the fighting of the last gathering. He remembers the smell, after all, he had seen plenty of the Dark Forest cats around camp as a kit. But to see another cat, so full of life the last time he had seen her, motionless and limp on the ground, made Stormpaw want to run and hide.

He resisted the urge, digging his claws further into the ground. He looked up at his mentor, pressing against his side slightly. Seeing the angry, determined look in Owlshriek’s eyes made Stormpaw square his shoulders. He turned his attention back to Perchstar, listening to her explain the fact that Cloverheart was murdered by Skyclan. Not just murdered, but drowned! Who could do something like that? Why would Skyclan do something like this? Anger started to mingle with the fear in Stormpaw’s stomach. They would get justice. He looked at Cloverheart’s body, then back at Perchstar. Dread grew in him at the thought of how the gathering may go tonight, but he had to trust Perchstar to hold Skyclan accountable.