Spars for the Guilty [C]

It was well into the early morning, but early it still was. The sun had only just cast a pale light across the forest when Darkspirit entered Thunderclan territory to hunt and scout. It wasn't his call, but it looked to him like Thunderclan could return home soon. The twoleg scent was faint and the territory looked somewhat recognizable now. The tom often was alone as he was today. So far he hadn't had any trouble. The few incidents of predators that had attacked him he had either gotten away or fought them off. Darkspirit also never told anyone of his incidents on his solo journeys. It seemed that even bragging wasn't in his nature.

Darkspirit found earth that has deep ruts in it, but they were also in a peculiar pattern. He removed the leaves with his paw to get a better look before he realized that they were monster footprints. His eyes went into the direction of camp and his ears swiveled around, listening for anything out of the ordinary. He didn't hear monsters or twolegs at all, but he thought he heard the soft fall of pawsteps. Another cat? Darkspirit tracked the noise in silence and waited for whoever it was to come into view. He couldn't be too sure but it did smell like a Thunderclan cat. In that case, he felt no need to be violent.

It didn't take Stalringflare long to make his presence known. He knew there was another cat out in the territory with him, but he wasn't certain who considering the lingering scents of twolegs and their monsters. So when he stumbled across Darkspirit, his single eye widened in surprise slightly. Out of all the cats this isn't who he expected to run into.. Though it made sense to the silver tom.. The other was always disappearing..

"What brings you out this early morning?" The older warrior asked, though he probably already knew, he just wanted confirmation. His single eye flicked around the area they were in. Was he apart of a patrol? Were there others near by?

As the gray cat came into view, Darkspirit had to put in effort to not let his ears lie flat. He avoided everyone, but Starlingflare he had taken special precautions to avoid this whole time, especially after the incident with the Dark Forest and the gray tabby tom's threats. Darkspirit had never told anyone, nor did he intend to. At the time of the incident, the Dark Forest had been in control, and once they had been driven out, any evidence of their fight had vanished. Lucky Starlingflare. "Exiled" would have been a good look for him... and the warrior code said nothing about killing rogues.

"Just checking to see if the territory is safe, that's all." He answered simply, his voice calm and even. He almost pivoted on his heel to leave... almost. He eyed the older warrior with a mix of intrigue as well as... dislike? He didn't truly hate the tom per se, but he certainly didn't trust him. He was convinced that the world would be brighter without him around or anyone that had sympathized with and supported the Dark Forest.

"And you? Were you hoping to come out here and make good on your half sunbaked threat?" Darkspirit hadn't meant to let it slip... but it had annoyed him ever so subtly that Starlingflare was still in Thunderclan. "Something about how I would end up dead if I tried to change the fact that the Dark Forest was here? Well... in case you weren't paying attention... I was in the battle with them. I helped to drive them out. Did you have a change of heart Starlingflare? Or were you just doing what you typically do and choose the winning side of the moment because you're a fox-hearted coward?" The growl rumbled in his throat as he spoke the words. His tail was lashing. The composure he had only a moment ago was gone. He wasn't a scared and angry apprentice anymore... just an angry warrior with a grudge.