trial by fire [clan meeting]

As Nightstar led them home, Leopardsun's mind was racing. ShadowClan was suddenly the center of a scandal, victim to the moor-dwelling busybodies of WindClan- particularly their medicine cat, who held a grudge against Nightstar in particular.

She'd known from the start that their alliance was ill-fated, but even she hadn't imagined the consequences would be this absurd- surely even the nosy idiots of WindClan knew better than to do something so stupid as make an alleged affair that didn't involve them in the least a public matter, and to do so in the most idiotic way possible.

As far as Leopardsun was concerned, Batsong had more than overstepped, and Shrikestar's defense of her actions was a declaration of war in itself. Once they were done here, she would be speaking with Nightstar and the council; such an obvious attack and insult could not be left unchallenged.

But before that could be addressed, there was the matter of Nightstar himself; and the truth of what was said.

ShadowClan's deputy wasted no time at all approaching the Jaggedrock; though she stayed at the base in the shadow it cast, as she preferred to. She didn't care to be above her Clanmates, would rather remain among them, and certainly not tonight- not when it was their leader they would be addressing.

"ShadowClan, I ask that we gather in the shadow of the Jaggedrock to address an important matter: the events of tonight's Gathering."

She waited for her Clanmates to gather around her, trusting that they would understand the importance of this meeting.

"For those of you who were not in attendance: WindClan's medicine cat, Batsong, leapt atop the Great Rock before any of the leaders had a chance to speak. She spoke at length about a message from StarClan, attempting to place two leaders on trial for an affair- Mottlestar, leader of ThunderClan… And our own Nightstar. Regardless of whether anything she said is true, her argument was heavily biased and based almost entirely in her own personal grudges against his past actions. I'm not about to believe whatever she says- certainly not without evidence."

The deputy sighed, shaking her head, before gesturing to their leader with her tail.

"Fortunately, Nightstar has said he will answer to ShadowClan- a sensible decision, all things considered. So I ask of you, Nightstar, as a leader and an example for your Clan- what do you have to say? Was any of what she said true?"

Even without being atop the Jaggedrock, Leopardsun’s height meant she found herself looking down at a number of her clanmates. She held their gaze, a stern and serious expression on her face.

"To the rest of you, I suggest patience- you'll have your chance to speak. For the moment, listen carefully."

Swiftheart followed the clan back to camp after all that. Her mind was racing as well. The shock of all the accusations hadn't really set in yet for herself. Her brother was accused of alot of things and as soon as they got home now Leopardsun wanted to talk more about it.

Which was fine, that was probably needed. But for once the extraverted and mostly happy she cat just wanted to curl up in her nest and not have to talk about things and just be allowed to think for a bit.

Still, she obeyed the meeting call and sat as she listened to leopardsun begin. Through no fault of the deputie's the words leopardsun said were mostly missed by Swiftheart as she was still in the shock mode of it all. She got the basic message though. Sit and listen to Nightstar.

Her eyes glanced around wondering where he was. This whole thing was one big mess and she wanted nothing more than to just get to talk with him alone but she doubted he would even want that. She did wish that he knew how much she supported him in all this despite how shocking all it was.

She glanced at her clanmates not sure if she was the only one who currently had no idea what to do or say.

Badgermask followed after her mother - not Nightstar, even if he was technically leading the group. Her face was set in a deep frown as they reached the camp, sticking close to Moondancer and Batswarm as Leopardsun wasted no time calling together a meeting. Truth be told, she didn't care much what happened to Nightstar - he might have been their leader but she knew how much his actions tended to trouble her mother. She was as loyal as her mother was, simply put...And she knew her mother was far more loyal to the whole of ShadowClan. So, Badgermask's options didn't much matter as far as she was concerned - her Clanmates would vote, Leopardsun would listen...And she would follow whatever choices were put forward.

Not that she had much of an option anyways - she didn't understand it. What would cause Nightstar to have a thing with a ThunderClan cat - the ThunderClan leader! - at all if it was true? It didn't make sense to her at all, she didn't know if she ought to be hurt or betrayed or angry...She just wasn't. Not yet, with all she knowing of claims from that loud-mouth WindClan medicine cat. Maybe hearing what the leader would say would kindle something within, but for now she just stared at narrowed eyes as she waited for Nightstar to speak.

Batswarms tail swished behind him, sandwiched between his sisters as ShadowClan returned to camp. The clan meeting felt unnecessary: what had breaking a rule done to ShadowClan? Nothing. Had they continued to remain unaware of Nightstar's actions, the forest would have continued the same.

All this did for him was take away his me-time.

---

Green eyes scanned the growing crowd, lingering on Nightstar for a moment before looking to the seasoned medicine cat beside her. Harriertalon had little to say about Nightstar's actions... Burdockroot, however, knew him better. She was curious to hear from her.

The miniscule relationship she had with Nightstar was growing weaker by the moon, her once steadfast loyalty starting to feel... misplaced with each new thing Nightstar involved himself in. That was still not enough to pick a side, whatever the outcome of this clan meeting was.

Moondancer stalked into camp alongside her siblings, tail lashing just as Batswam's did. What that Windclan medicine cat had done at the gathering was despicable, and had it not somehow involved Shadowclan directly through involving Nightstar, maybe Moondancer wouldn't have cared. But this did involve Shadowclan, and worse than that, involved family. Moondancer would've loved nothing more than to ignore the issue and return to her nest for the morning, but of course Leopardsun would call the clan together for a meeting. Moondancer sat beside her siblings, pale green eyes narrowed to slits as she glanced between Nightstar and her mother. She didn't trust the Windclan medicine cat at all, but why would someone go out of their way to lie about so much? If he had truly gotten with a filthy Thunderclanner, Moondancer would never be able to look at the tom the same way again. Such an act was truly despicable, even more so if kits had actually resulted from it. At least the stuff about Windclan's involvement and their broken alliance, Moondancer was reasonably sure the medicine cat had been wrong about. Hopefully she was also wrong about all of this other foxdung she had spewed, too.

Nightstar felt as if he was on a warrior's march to his death, just like Redice, as he lead his clan home alongside Leopardsun. A one night fling he had all but completely forgotten about, done only in a moment of weakness, influenced by the exhaustion and societal pressures of his new role. He didn't know if his clan would understand, but he was one hypocrite, wasn't he? He never really preached the code, never pushed his pureblooded ideals of them, just expected that they hunt and care and provide for their clan, introduced new policies to keep them strong and safe... but they weren't code breakers, except for him.

Leopardsun took charge immediately upon entering camp, and launched into a speech that while dry and simple still made him nervous. How much of what Batsong said was true? Nightstar did not scale the Jaggedrock, he was no leader now, just a cat answering for his mistakes amongst his whole clan like they were deciding if to throw him out or not. "Nothing Batsong said was true, I said my piece at the gathering. I did not attempt to kill Brackenwing, I pushed her out of the way and lost a life in the process. Windclan cats trespassed into Shadowclan land while it was unprotected with every cat at Highstones, so I taught them a lesson and then saw them to their home safe where they were treated faster than they would have been initially. That was the second time, I kept silent for the first transgression as the allyship was new and fragile, but I did not see worth in continuing to ally if the arrangement was fresh and they were already testing boundaries. There has been no trouble from them since." Nightstar started, treating some of the more easily refutable allegations first.

"Batsong spoke from a place of spite and with a grudge she has been letting fester for moons. Shadowclan and Windclan have had no quarrel since the breaking of the alliance until now." Nightstar continued, "However, Batsong speaks some truth. On the night I had gotten my lives, after moving Shadowclan back home from the flood that had parted us, and making Leopardsun deputy, I had a fling with Mottlestar. I've done what I can to atone, as I have done absolutely everything I can to put Shadowclan first each and every time. I had absolutely no romantic attraction to Mottlestar, and what I had done that night, was borne of exhaustion, grief, and anxiety. I was not deputy long, and even less a deputy under any higher leadership, I did not know how to lead, I had no training, I was very young, and I felt tremendous amounts of fear and anxiety that I would be a bad leader, and so, I had a fling with Mottlestar that I just learned borne kittens." Nightstar omitted that he had known just nights prior to the gathering, that wouldn't help his case.

"I suppose I had proven myself right. All I have ever wanted and will continue to want is to lead Shadowclan well. We have seen no wars, we have survived many a conflict, forest or predator. We have a rich and healthy culture, and strong and plentiful warriors and clan mates. We have skills and specialties that will help save lives. Shadowclan was devoid of that in my kit hood. I understand, that my decision to close our borders has not been a popular one. Allowing only kittens to be brought into Shadowclan has been my compromise, but I have listened to my clanmates when concerns were brought up, allowing clan cats under special consideration and I have instated it. " Nightstar knew he was begging, that he was pleading in every little way he could for forgiveness- he didn't care.

He cared that he was losing his power over them, however. That he had gone from a stoic, fearless tom, who lead Shadowclan straight and true- but because he had a fling with a she-cat from another clan to release some stress, he was suddenly less than? He wanted to hiss and spit, wanted to tear the Windclan medicine cat apart for doing this. But he'd save this surely, he'd stay in leadership and spit at Batsongs eyes.

"I have made my reasoning clear, I've no feelings for Mottlestar then and now. But I spoke true when I said I'd answer to Shadowclan. I've shed my blood and lost lives for Shadowclan, and I will continue to make tough decisions so that my clan will not have to. I do this in place of Starclan, Starclan who has given no warning for the queen and warrior who were skinned by the very rogues that attacked our camp moons ago and threatened the lives of kittens, elders, and nursing queens. They stole the lives of our clan mates as if being tormented by the dark forest was not enough. They did not warn us in times that mattered and allowed it to happen. Please keep this in mind, however, I know I must atone for you all, and I will, despite my own best efforts to do so with every action I have taken to keep us safe. I am guilty of the fling with Mottlestar. But that is it." Nightstar meowed, anxiety now raging as he waited nervously for his clans response.

Tigershriek's tail had been beating the mud beneath his paws for what felt like moons before the rest of the clan had returned to camp. Having left in a rage after Batsong had the audacity to call on him to speak in her mockery of a trial, and the news that Nightstar had, seemingly, broken the code for Thunderclan's leader, he had been attempting to cool off. See things through calmer eyes. He had silenced any who thought to question why he had returned early, simply stating 'wait for the rest to return'. He was no gossip.

Immediately, Leopardsun called the clan to order and asked them to refrain from speaking until Nightstar had said his piece. Golden eyes pierced Nightstar's pelt like daggers as he passed through to sit at the base of the Jaggedrock. He denied every charge set against him, all but the most important one. Tigershriek hadn't cared if Nightstar had tried to hurt Windclan. He knew of their transgressions. However, family was... important, to the tom. When he had heard that Nightstar had apparently abandoned his fling to have kits on her own and suffer the consequences of such alone... it deeply hurt him.

So when Nightstar said he had not known about the kits until very recently, some relief flooded into him. Tigershriek, however, was still bothered by the fact that his leader had so flippantly broken the code. He hadn't even admitted his guilt, Starclan told Batsong. Starclan was their guide, and they said the clan needed to know.

When Nightstar had finished, Tigershriek was quiet for a moment. Taking in his leader's words, he knew that there were no feelings for Mottlestar... but, "What about your kits? If we were ever at war with Thunderclan would you be able to fight them? Even if you don't know them, there's no guarantee you wouldn't recognize yourself in them." The tom fought to keep his voice level, words sharp like they cut his mouth on the way out. He wondered how much Nightstar cared about family, cared about the kits he had accidentally fathered. Would he choose us over them, could he.

Tawnyshadow listened to the leader's words in silence. Her insides were burning with rage with each word the traitor uttered. No training? What bold lies. Every clan cat received training from the day they were born to follow the warrior code. The code has been repeated to them, over and over and over, throughout their lives. Any warrior would never break the warrior code. Training as a deputy or leader has nothing to do with this.

The she-cat sprung to her paws. "Nightstar! Are you saying that it takes training as a deputy to learn and respect the warrior code? Your own warriors have experienced the same pain you went through that night, but only you broke down. You punish warriors and even apprentices for breaking the code, but you yet here you stand, guilty of one of the worse crimes! All you just said to justify yourself are nothing but excuses! No code-breaker is fit to lead a Clan, and you yourself know that," She spat out the words like venom. How could that arrogant tom stand there as if everything he did was but a small mistake? And how could any of her clanmates believe him? Any loyalty or admiration she had felt for the leader had been stripped away as soon as he admitted to breaking the code.

(OOC: Bold text is Swiftheart's thoughts.  You cant hear them in character)

Swiftheart listened to everything being said and closed her eyes shut tightly... First her brother said nothing Batsong said was true... then about 2 sentences later he admited that actually some of the stuff she had said was true.

oh good stars Night you are not helping your case like this contradicting yourself she thought to herself.

and sure enough much to her own fears... Tigersheik and Tawnyshadow were both quick to point this out.

And then her brother went on a rant about starclan or something... something about starclan not giving them warning about things?? Swiftheart stared at him worridly trying to shake her head just a little in a signal to please just stop.  Blaming and bashing starclan for not warning about the dark forest attack was not relevant here and would certainly not help his case what exactly was he thinking doing that?  Sometimes she wondered if he ever did think before just speaking... she rolled her eyes frustrated.  She wanted to defend him but the longer he bashed starclan and contradicted himself the harder a task that would be.


She tried to think quickly of the best possible way though this.  What mattered to her most right now was trying to make sure the clan would not splinter apart.  So while her goal was to try and defend her brother she wanted to do carefully and respecting the concerns being brought forward.

"Well Tiger shriek while I understand your concern of Nightstar possibly having split loyalties ... I think it is important to remember that until tonight he did not even know of such kits....  I think that Nightstar has proven his loyalty to this clan time and time again.  Think about how he died from the tree falling on him to save clanmates of his own.  The action of dying for a clanmate is not of someone I would say has problems with loyalty."

she gave a little shrug.  Someone who is willing to die to save a clanmate of their own I would say is very loyal


She was doing her absolute best to try and provide and remind the clan that her brother had self sacrificed for them in the past and that if his loyalty really was not with shadowclan he would not have done these things for them:  while at the same time trying not to make the worries or concerns of her clanmates feel invalid.

It felt like she was trying to balance on a high ledge with steep cliffs below her on either side navigating all this.


Tawnyshadow brought up good points too next... and to be honest Swiftheart was struggling trying to think of any way to defend her sibling here on that one.

Nightstar had tried to play a sympothy card about not having guidance through all this?? and thats why he had done it?? and Tawnyshadow was calling him on it pretty hard.  She understood that the weight of leadership came soon after Nights deputy with Froststar so suddenly falling ill but saying he had no one around to help him she worried would come off the wrong way as it clearly already had with Tawnyshadow...  swiftheart worried of how long before someone else would bring up the fact that if he felt he had no one to turn to during that time what that meant he thought of them all...

Swiftheart was worried that if this kept up there was going to be further trouble.  Then Nightstar had also brought up the fact of him not allowing outsiders.
Swiftheart nearly cried when he brought all  that up... Good stars Night!! do you want them to kick you out?? she thought to herself  It was no secret that his policy of no outsiders was unpopular.  Especially when Thelia a respected senior warrior had been one in the past... why in starclans name was he bringing that up right now???

He should be focused on the things at paw here not going off on tangents that would just make everyone mad... Between talking about his unpopular loner policy and then bashing starclans decision of not warning them about attacks Swiftheart was left in a difficult spot of how to try and defend him of all this.

She had always been loyal to him.  And that was not about to change now just because things were hard.  But if felt like sometimes he made it hard on himself.

"My brother is not perfect but he has done everything he can do to help build this clan up and keep it stabile lead.  Leopardsun, if you are asking our opinions... I think it is often times easy to oversteer or overcorrect after such large things happen.  I suggest that perhaps a decision could be at least delayed a little while until things cool a bit"

Swiftheart hoped that this would allow her clanmates to relax a bit, realize that just because he had kits in thunderclan didnt mean he was any different a leader as he was a moon ago.  And secondly, she hoped it would allow the clan to unify a bit more.  A united front would be needed after all this especially with all the clans now surely looking at them.

There was no doubt in Swifthearts mind that their clan was the strongest but in order to stay that way they had to remain united or for the very least appear united to the now many eyes the other clans surely had on them.

Obviously, Nightstar denied the rumors of Batsong's more egregious claims, though Rookfire was suspicious of his ulterior motives as well. 'Nothing Batsong says is true' and 'Batsong speaks some truth' contradict each other! Perhaps he wants to stay in leadership so badly that he'll try and say anything to stay as leader. He didn't think that Nightstar was that kind of cat, but he also didn't think that he was the kind of cat to have kits with another clan's leader, something that he (to his credit) admitted to in full.

But as Nightstar spoke longer and longer, Rookfire saw holes in his argument emerge. He was ShadowClan's leader, and with his very stringent outsider beliefs (which turned into stringent outsider policies, though those specific policies were irrelevant to the topic at paw) he should have known that having kits with another clan cat was bad. Rookfire was brought up in one of the most lax times of the Warrior Code, when the Asylum took over, and yet he could still grasp the warrior code and understand why each rule should be followed by each clan cat.

Tigershriek brought up a concern about Nightstar's loyalties being divided, and Tawnyshadow screamed at him due to his code-breaking. Rookfire liked that he wasn't the only one concerned by Nightstar, but he didn't agree with either of their rationales. Nightstar probably wouldn't have any emotional connection to kits he never even got to see, and in Rookfire's eyes having kits with another clan cat wouldn't be that big of a deal if it was anyone else standing on trial. The only reason it was such a big deal was that he acted wrong, and he broke the beliefs he held most dearly.

"Personally, Nightstar," Rookfire started, "my biggest problem with you is not the fact that you had kits with another clan cat." The black tuxedo stepped forward to confront him directly. "My problem is that you broke your own moral code to relieve your anxiety. There were many other things you could have done that would not break the code, the code that you are supposed to uphold as leader, and yet your first reaction to dealing with your stress is- having a fling with ThunderClan's leader?"

"Now, I've had those feelings before as well, but when they appeared I held myself back and refused to act on them." It may have been his fear of being a father back then cause him to hold himself back from pursuing his actions, but Rookfire pushed that thought down. "So how could you, someone who values ShadowClan's blood purity and respecting the warrior code so much, commit an action that you should have known would have dire consequences?"

The black tuxedo stepped back, taking a deep breath in to calm himself down. "And if I can't trust... that you can follow your own moral code... how in the Dark Forest can I trust you as my leader?" Rookfire had always been teetering on that edge for a while, but he always was able to create some reason to continue following him. But this... this was the last straw.

Turning to Leopardsun, the black tuxedo gazed at her. "If you think you're ready to lead in his absence, Leopardsun, I would support Nightstar being temporarily demoted from his leader position until he proves that he's trustworthy." He made sure not to mention Batsong as the origin of said idea. Despite the WindClan not deserving to scream at the entire Gathering about something that really should have been dealt privately between ThunderClan and ShadowClan (though Rookfire could have seen himself doing something similar if he was in her paws), he did think that Nightstar receiving a temporary demotion was fitting for the crime he committed, though if it wasn't for the reasons she suggested.

~~

Poppypaw padded into the clearing with the rest of the Gathering party. He wondered what Nightstar had to say for himself, which did seem pretty convincing to him. It seemed like the other cats weren't as convinced, though, since they called him out for certain parts of his speech. They seemed like they made a lot of sense as well. Then, Swiftheart came in defense of Nightstar, then his father came in opposition to him. It was too confusing for the young tom. They all made really good points. Honestly, he just wanted this to all be over.

Badgermask's eyes narrowed as Nightstar finally spoke to defend himself. She couldn't care less about the claims of Nightstar's actions against WindClan - she barely remembered the time before they had returned to the camp, having only vague memories of living out in the moors with the tense relations between the two Clans. WindClan could choke on their rabbits for all she cared after that pitiful display on the rock - their medicine cat clearly not knowing not to stick her nose where it doesn't belong and Shrikestar not scolding her for it - if their higher ranks were like that... Then she cared not a whisker for WindClan.

If she had to have an option out from under going whatever her mother thought was the correct choice...Then she suppose she had some problems with the whole 'kit' thing. She didn't get it, not in the slightest. The kits, who it was with...The problem for her was that it was a moment of weakness - and that didn't feel right for her. So what if he didn't feel ready for his position as leader? It was what he had to work with anyways - his example was what ShadowClan was meant to lead. She knew how easy it was to doubt oneself but to mess up that badly when it would take a single thought to reconsider such a monumental poor idea? Her tail swished, lips curling back as she briefly bared her fangs at her uncle. It didn't matter if it was in the past, or he thought himself above such things now. One screw up of that scale - to forsake his loyalties for a single night of comfort was...

"I agree with Rookfire," she finally meowed, giving a shrug of her shoulders as she glanced at her mother. While she would have been happy to hold her tongue, Leopardsun had ask for options. "I don't get what leads into such a night of broken rules - but I know I don't approve. He is suppose to lead us, be an example. A moment of weakness seems like something that should be punished in some way - he can claim himself above such things now but how can we trust that? When he already sought the comfort of another Clan cat - another leader! - instead of his Clanmates," she hissed, eyes narrowing. She straightened up with a huff, raising her nose. "I don't care what his punishment is, I leave that you, mother, but I think something has to be done. This cannot stand, no matter how brief the fling truly was or if there was any feelings behind it - a leader should be better then that, no matter how newly named they were."

Other voices rang out, some defending Nighstar, but most agreeing with her; this isn't how a leader should act. Tawnyshadow took a deep breath and sat back down. She wasn't sure what she hoped to achieve by this; did she want Leopardsun exile Nightstar, or did she just want Nighstar to step down? All she knew was that Nightstar was no longer fit to be a leader, perhaps not even a warrior. Would he have to become an apprentice again? Would Leopardsun really humiliate the leader like that? Tawnyshadow dug her claws into the dirt. Whatever would happen, she would just have to support Leopardsun through it. Afterall, the leader's word is the Code.

...At least Leopardsun would make a good leader, she couldn't help but add to herself.

The entire ordeal made Beetlepaw's heart tired. That was the best way they could describe it. A heavy, sullen feeling weighed in their chest the entire way home, and affected them still as they stood in camp, leaning against the apprentice den entrance. As they recounted the events of the gathering, the felt their stress rise. They held a resentment towards Nightstar and Mottlestar for making them so anxious. The gathering was supposed to be a time of peace and friendship. Supposed to be.

The stress the felt rose higher when Leopardsun approached the Jaggedrock. When she called, Beetlepaw reluctantly withdrew from the den, taking a spot near the one of they only cats they knew they could trust. Tawnyshadow. They remained expressionless as Leopardsun called to Nightstar, and he answered to the clan, pinning him to the base of the Jaggedrock with wide, expecting eyes. Voices of dissent arose. In the midst of it all, Beetlepaw sat, silently organizing thoughts.

The more that was said, the more upset they got. Nightstar had abandoned his kits, but only cared about his image relating to Mottlestar and the code. Their clanmates seemed to only care about the same. The thought hit them, hard. Beetlepaw was no warrior. They hadn't experienced much, a portion of their young life spent in a feverish daze, drifting in an out of consciousness in a corner of the medicine den. But they knew pain, they knew what it was like to not have a parent - or both. They may only be recently apprenticed, but they were as old as some of the warriors here. They had a lifetime of thoughts that they hadn't been able to share.

They shifted. Still, they were hesitant about speaking. Closing their eyes in a moment of silent confliction, they made a decision. "What will become of your kits, Nightstar." They asked as soon as there was an open window. "Whether or not you intended it, you are their father. They are just as much Shadowclan as they are Thunderclan." Their tone remained even and matter-of-fact. "There are cats in Thunderclan who grew up without knowing who one of their parents were. They found out that they were the result of an unwanted relationship at a Gathering that ended in turmoil. How could you do something like that to them, and keep quiet long enough for them to become warriors and still not know until tonight. I don't care about Mottlestar. You have an obligation to those kits, and you choose to abandon them."

"You've broken the code, and that cannot be undone. You may no longer care for Mottlestar, and you may regret your decision, but you made a mistake that reflected all of us. A mistake that none of us here dare commit. You've lied to your clan." Their eyes flickered to the clanmates around them. They felt that they had more to say, but couldn't get the words out. What they felt wasn't anger, but hurt, rather. Although not the result of a cross-clan relationship, they sympathized with the kits.The fact that Nighstar had committed such an act, and never bothered to think of the consequences was beyond them. Not to say that the fact that he'd broken the code at all and made himself seem untrustworthy wasn't a problem. The rest of their clanmates would cover that, they supposed.

While Harriertalon was not an avid promoter of the code (being born an outsider herself), she did find Nightstar's actions to be based on what was and wasn't an inconvenience for him at the time. There were actions he's taken in recent history that proved he needed some reminding of the position he was in.

"Anxiety and fear over whether or not you could lead your clan is understandable, Nightstar. However, that is not an excuse to break code the moment you received your lives. It's understandable that the cats who look up to you would begin to doubt you." Again, the code meant little to her other than her duties as a future medicine cat. But the voices of her clanmates solidified that the code meant a lot to them. They should be listened to. "Personally, I believe you should rejoin your clan in everyday activities. Not as a leader, but as one of them: apprentice and warrior duties alike. I dont mean that you should give up your nine lives, just for you to try to regain our faith in you that you aren't doing things for your own personal gain or out of selfishness by setting a new example of how a clan cat should act." Pausing, she continued, "Repenting to StarClan would also serve you well."

She sighed, "As for those ThunderClan kits... They should remain as they are: without their real father. Nothing good will come from you mingling with another clan again. They are also Mottlestars kits; should anything happen to them, there will be bloodshed in the future." This was pointed towards every cat here who thought killing children who had no say in who their parents were was a just and acceptable conclusion.

Nightstar loyalty now pending

Nightstar finally spoke up, and Moondancer turned her head and spat. He denied the medicine cat's accusations at first... Then reluctantly admitted to what he'd done with Mottlestar. Filth, the both of them.

"Windclan had no right to tell the whole forest, nor do they have the right to demand what happens in Shadowclan." Moondancer's tail lashed, "But you, Nightstar, are disgusting. You've proven that you can't be trusted to abide the simplest of rules, and by those actions alone you've already put yourself before the clan. I think Leopardsun would make a better leader, personally, but if you insist on begging for the clan's trust back maybe you'll do something to earn it." Narrowed green eyes settled onto her uncle. "I agree with Harriertalon... To a point. Those kits mean nothing to me, and if you truly want to put Shadowclan first, they should mean nothing to you either. Beetlepaw, they were born and raised in Thunderclan, and suddenly learning that they have a father elsewhere won't change that. They are not Shadowclan, and I do not care what happens to them. I won't go seeking them out because they're somehow 'family' now, and I suggest none of you do so either."