Lionsbeach

[occultation]

Fadingsun was alone.

Given that the meeting had only just concluded, most of the Clan was either back at camp or elsewhere in the territory. That meant that, for now, he had Lionsbeach all to himself.

As the minutes passed by, the adrenaline that had been kicked up within him at Fogmuzzle's threats began to die little by little. With it, the anger it had fueled died, too. A creeping horror began to replace it. Never before had he been so... nonchalant at another's death. Even when he'd been in the outskirts, with death on his mind every day, he'd never been fully detached from it.

It was almost as if something within him changed during that meeting. He had no idea what, or how exactly he should deal with it. Staring out across the ocean, he wondered if it would be a lone occurrence, or if this was the first of many changes coming down the line for him.

The darkness that had lead to him demanding Fogmuzzle's death be slow and painful, to him watching silently as Talonpaw ripped Fogmuzzle's tongue free from her body... it deeply unsettled him. Being alone, he allowed that discontent to twist his features.

Digging his claws into the sand, he concluded that this was simply a stress-induced event. Yes, cats were known to do extreme things when they were under a lot of stress. Plus, he'd been impassioned by the threats made against apprentices he'd sworn to protect. For moons, RiverClan had neglected their youth. If he had to have a moment of darkness to ensure that stopped, that was okay... right?

He shook his head. This wasn't the real him. The real him was better than that. The real him had a good moral compass, and always tried to be fair in both judgment and execution. The real him didn't enjoy seeing an enemy torn down and brutalized, even after death.

He just needed some air. Some time away from it all, and everything would be alright again. He'd be able to let go of the shadows that still pressed at his heart, wanting to be let back inside the part they'd temporarily claimed.

[ Open! ]