Catching up to speed (Closed)

Leopardsun had approached him shortly after the festivities had concluded, which he supposed was a great kindness, considering that Leopardsun could have discussed with him any time despite the occasion. She was no time waster either, he reflected as he padded to where his deputy had been waiting for him. She had things to say, information that no doubt weighed heavy on her from the look in her eyes, and that concerned him, perhaps it had something to do with the absence of two of his sisters, and his apprentice? Nightstar was steeling himself for bad news the entire walk that took the two away from the prying eyes and ears of Windclan and Shadowclan cats alike.

"I'm here now, Leopardsun, what was it that you needed to tell me?" Nightstar meowed, settling himself close enough to his deputy, but a far enough away that it was respectful of her and his personal space.

Leopardsun took a deep breath, preparing to share every bit of news that had transpired in the absence of ShadowClan's leader. "There's... Quite a lot to go over," she admitted. "The disappearances have continued, despite our best efforts to remain as cautious as possible. So far, you're the only one who's returned, and Sunpaw, Sablestrike, and Honeylight have all vanished since, as has Roseburn. With your permission, I'd like to dedicate more of my own time to trying to find our missing cats- I would have been doing so before, but I couldn't manage it while also acting in your place. With your return, we have proof that they could still come back- and I promised I would bring them home. I won't fail them."

Cinderkit, Thalia, Roseburn, Sunpaw... Harrierpaw, Sablestrike, Honeylight...

So many of her Clanmates were still lost, and it felt like another one disappeared every time she closed her eyes. How long until it was her that didn't come home, or Echomist, or-

"However," she continued, recalling that there was still more to discuss. "Before we can focus on that, there have been a number of other developments. Shortly after we arrived here, there was- an incident. Sablestrike made some... Insinuations, and was trying to pressure me to appoint a deputy in your absence; he was... Convinced you wouldn't return. That none of you would. He also said I'd been leader far longer than I had noticed, but... I honestly don't think he understands just how much work goes into making ShadowClan run smoothly."

From her own perspective, Nightstar was certainly ShadowClan's leader- the exhaustion from filling his pawsteps for the time she had could attest to that. Though she was often the one other cats saw, simply because she made sure to spend time around her Clanmates, the less visible work was no less important.

"Swiftheart was- misguided, and she took his side. She thought he wanted a temporary position and proposed I appoint him to it, claiming that he'd shown great loyalty to ShadowClan- as I see it, he'd turned his back on the missing cats before even a single full moon had passed; that's not a show of loyalty, it's a lack of faith. Iceheart pointed out that StarClan might strip your lives away if I were to go to Highstones, and then suddenly Burdockroot was shouting about treason, claiming that Sablestrike was a traitor; and she even went so far as to threaten his life, though I doubt she would have acted on it- or at least I hope not. I certainly hope WindClan wasn't paying attention to that," she muttered, half to herself. "At least the alliance, new and delicate as it may be, seems to be faring decently well despite everything else."

She quickly recounted the rest of that particular meeting, as well as she punishment she'd lined out for Sablestrike- one that was rather difficult to enforce when he'd vanished.

"He really seemed to regret what he'd said when the gravity of it set in," she said eventually. "I... I want to find him, just like the others. He's no traitor, he's just young and impulsive. I called him an idiot, but... I think he's just misguided, more than anything. He still has a lot left to learn, but he's always wanted the best for ShadowClan."

She would drag him back by the scruff if she had to, assuming he didn't stumble back on his own as Nightstar had.

That left one major event that she could recall. "And Harechaser..."

Harechaser's death. How would Nightstar take that news? She'd left it for last, so he could have the chance to process it after everything else was said and done.

"...She passed in her sleep. In her nest. I don't know what happened, exactly- you'd have to ask Burdockroot for the details, she knows more than I do- but... I'm sorry, Nightstar. I wish I had better news to share."

How long was he gone for all of... this to happen while he was absent? Two apprentices, a kit, and several warriors, one of them being his sister, and were all completely missing from their ranks. Leopardsun spoke of how she wanted to bring them home, but he knew the risks, but he let his deputy continue speaking instead of interjecting, but he already knew his answer for her and he was certain that she was not going to like it.

Nightstars hackles raised as his deputy relayed the accounts of the situation with Sablestrike, had he not mentored this tom? Should his loyalty not be undoubtedly towards him? He knew that Sablestrike had doubts since Rosethorn and Snowfoots injuries, but after their discussion, he was sure he had knocked some sense into him, despite the choice words they had both spat at each other. But now, he had tried to pressure Leopardsun into getting her nine lives? Leopardsun was correct in her assumptions, that it was a lack of faith and misguidedness that drove Sablestrike.

Swiftheart had done her due diligence as a council member but did not seem to understand what it meant to be one. They were supposed to grant advice to the leader, not try to install any cat into any position unless asked of. It was Leopardsun's decision to appoint a deputy, temporary or not, not the councils. But that wasn't all, Burdockpaw- root now, having been named a full medicine cat with him absent, threatening the life of her clanmate, and he has also been her mentor, knew that she undoubtedly would have done something as a warrior but he wasn't so sure now that she decided to tread the path of a healer.

Nightstar could feel his stress mount, growing deaf to what Leopardsun was telling him - almost - as she recounted that Sablestrike seemed to have regrets about his actions. That didn't matter to him much, he'd have to prove his loyalty ten times over to be trusted, having regarded Nightstar and his leadership the moment he was gone. Did he not teach and guide him? Did he not try his best despite his position as a leader of a clan that was nearly forty-strong?

Harechaser was... dead. Gone while he was off getting fed Kittypet muck and stuck with sharp bits and his wounds treated. Gone in her nest? Nightstar thought to Basilbloom and wondered if her heart condition was something that ran in his family. She had died just the same, despite still having youth on her hackles.

Anger and grief swirled so violently in his chest he felt nauseous, his throat closing up on him and he feared that if he spoke too soon, he'd be unable to say anything without a quake in his voice and tears in his eyes, occasionally taking in a deep, steadying breath, an odd but almost familiar scent crossing his nose.

So he waited.

He waited and didn't care that Leopardsun was waiting for a response. He didn't want to give her one if he was going to break down on her, he couldn't let that happen. So, he started from the beginning, stomping down the grief and anger that he couldn't let himself feel right now. "You are not going to leave on a mission to find them. I need my deputy here. I had come from the cutters, but I hadn't seen any other Shadowclan cats there, but there were other clan cats. We can send some of our warriors if we must." Nightstar meowed, his voice a bit quavery to his own ears but he pushed on, clearing his throat.

"Sablestrike will be set straight, I've no doubt you've given him a punishment, but this developing distrust and disrespect must be stopped now, so I will take care of it. As for Swiftheart and Burdockroot, I will be speaking with both about their behaviour. I instated the council for wanted advice, not to instate cocky tom cats into a position of power." He paused again, inhaling deeply as he came full circle to the topic of his sister. "I... suspect that I may already know, why Harechaser has passed. My sister Basilbloom, had passed the same because she had something going on with her heart. Harechaser must've done the same." Finally he regarded Leopardsun fully.

She was... oddly round, when she was typically a slim and tall she-cat, much like the rest of Shadowclan, but her belly hung low and heavy, with... yes that was it, milk-scent wafting from her. He had known and seen his sister pregnant, so he could at least give a calculated guess. "Leopardsun... forgive me, but are you pregnant?" If she was, he definitely wasn't going to be allowing her to risk her life to pursue lost and captured clan mates.

"As much as I want to, I don't plan on leaving," Leopardsun shook her head. "You're right when you say you need me here. The cats here have to remain our priority, but- a handful of warriors, if we can spare them. And we should investigate the traps that litter our camp here first. Learn what we can, and hear your own statements about whatever you experienced." She nodded as he said he would deal with Sablestrike. "I suspected you'd have your own thoughts on how to deal with him before speaking to you- but to do that, we do need to bring him back."

The mention of Basilbloom and Harechaser sharing some sort of heart problem caught her by surprise, and she recalled belatedly that Echomist was related to both of them as well as Nightstar; that Harechaser had been Echomist's littermate as well as one of their peers. Should she be worried about the two of them as well? Well. She was no medicine cat, so she set that thought aside.

It wasn't hard, given Nightstar's next question.

"What?" she asked, looking somewhat scandalized. "What- what are you talking about, Nightstar?"

That wasn't a possibility.

...Was it?