Murky Waters[C]

Though many of the cats of the forest had taken the opportunity to mingle in lieu of their journey that had been blanketed by a truce, Murkyriver had no such interest. She had just proven herself and her worth to Riverclan, only for her new home to be ripped away beneath her very claws. Her gaze had looked to the river in betrayal as it had been filled with the shadowy ilk, a guilt of somehow feeling responsible and the stars bringing down their wrathful punishment being why she had to leave. It had left her no room to feel welcome to socialize. After all, she had hardly found her way as a fully welcomed presence of Riverclan. How would she be able to build her reputation when contending against an entire forest?

So she had stayed within Riverclan's walls. Only ever drifting to perhaps give greetings to the sole kin she cared for, looking for his lightly mottled pelt on rare occasion she had the energy to care. She had once given a half-curious sweep to potentially spot the black-and-white tom that had been her sire, only to not see the massive tom among the crowd. From that point on, she had kept to herself, only weaving as necessary to commit to whatever duty she had been told to complete.

Her surprise had been suppressed behind a blink as the scent of the marshes filled her nose. When she resided within Thunderclan's borders, the smell had stung much more harshly than it did now. Perhaps, because she had attuned herself to the waters of the forest, the watery earth no longer offended as harshly. Giving even an ounce of thought meant that it made sense. Even then, she was unsure just why a Shadowclan warrior would approach her. Was this somehow a kin of her sire who knew of her existence, wishing to meet more of their family? She held no affinity towards her father's clan. If anything, she wished to scorch that part of her lineage into the ground. They were why Flutterpetal was gone. They were why she could not share this journey with him. Her father was why the battle had commenced between Windclan and Shadowclan.

For all the progress she had made... it was so easily undone during times of stress. Still, she could at least be pleasant under the orders that had been given by Perchstar. Her head did not dip in greeting in return, as she reserved the gesture for only her leader. But, she did blink in greeting before she spoke. "Murkyriver, of Riverclan." Her name was delivered with pride, as it always would. Such a suffix was rare, and an honor, nearly as much of an honor of that of -star that only a leader possessed. The multicolored feline was of few words, especially as she found herself feeling particularly apprehensive about this molly that dared desire her own company. "What prompts you to seek my companionship?" She strained to force her tone into one that was at least somewhat friendly. It was an innocent question, all things considered, but easily could have offended had she allowed herself to speak in the flat tone she found most comfortable.

There was a very slight tilt of her head for just a heartbeat that indicated her curiosity at the she-cat's response. It was a tell that came from her mother, through and through. Any time a cat dared speak to Mottlestar, at one time or another during their conversation, the little tortoiseshell's head would end up tilting towards them. For Murkyriver, though, it only came in the briefest of signs, disappearing in the next heartbeat. It looked much more like a quick shake of her head than anything else. Her mind considered just what it was that she would reply with, but a few thoughts ruminated beneath the surface. Clearly, the she-cat had come from Shadowclan, and was likely wondering just why it was that she looked as if she was one of them. Her gaze narrowed just slightly, the lids drooping in what either could have been pinned as an offense of exhaustion, as she ruminated over just what she would tell.

The proclamation of her lineage had been a particularly public event, had it not? So had she not walked the forest in time? Or, rather, had their identities not been revealed? That seemed to be the case, as an assessing look at the other warrior beside her said that she certainly had been old enough to witness the event. "My sire was from Shadowclan," She answered simply. In terms of what had led her to Riverclan? That was not for this... Tawnyshadow to know. No, not even her own clanmates truly knew what it was that drove her to re-learn how to be a warrior all over again. "I am sure you could deduce who. His relationship caused quite an event." She hadn't seen him walking among Shadowclan's group, and part of her thought he had passed. Truth be told? She did not care. Nightstalker was nothing more to her than the other half of why she walked the forest.

At least the other she-cat had the ability to recognize when sensitive territory had been breached. That much deserved some respect on Murkyriver's own end. For as hard as conversation was for the molly, she wasn't going to go about making enemies. It was too precarious of a time for all of the Clans involved, they needed to work together. The mantra quickly became a repeated mumble in her mind, absorbing into the undercurrent of her thoughts that swirled like a dark murk. However, Murkyriver herself couldn't help but wonder just what it was that pushed for her to ask outside of simply the fact that it was Shadowclan's traits finding themselves beyond their borders. "Were you... close with my sire?" If she could at least discern just how her relations were with the infamous Nightstalker, it would judge just how it was that she felt about the molly.