"He's just easily frightened, didn't want to seem embarrassed." Grimpaw quietly smiled. Crowglow hesitantly stepped in, ears twitching.
"I want to do whatever it takes to help keep the clan from falling into pieces." He meowed gently.
Fadingsun met Crowglow's eyes with a steady gaze. On one paw, if his Clanmates feared him it might mean they'd be more inclined to listen to him. The fact that appealed to him made him feel rather uncomfortable, but he could sort that out later. On the other paw, he didn't want to jump off the deep end along with the rest of this stars-forsaken Clan.
"If you want to be helpful, the very best thing you can do right now is simply just your duty as a warrior," he said honestly. "Stay out of trouble. Don't go trying to solve our Clan's problems; if something happens that concerns you, come to me, another high rank, or one of the Lionhearts instead of trying to solve it yourself. Listen to what you're told to do, and always put your Clan first. If you do those things, you'll be a great help to me and to your Clan."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lucythecat
Redwater
She-cat {RiverClan} Warrior
Reddish-brown with green eyes
Redwater gulped. “Well, Fadingsun… I was wondering when I’d ever get my first apprentice? It’s been a while since my warrior assessments, and I was… I guess hoping I could get one soon?” Wow. That felt good to get off her chest. It would be great if Fadingsun agreed, and gave her her first apprentice! One step closer to her destiny.
Tell me if I did anything wrong!
This was the second warrior in recent memory that had come to him asking for an apprentice. It made him feel warm inside, knowing that some of RiverClan's warriors were determined to help them get back on course, even in the simpler ways. Training new warriors was one of the Clan's most important tasks, so having cats who were more than willing to help with it was always great.
"I'll see about getting you an apprentice as soon as I can. RiverClan hasn't had too many kits coming out of the nursery recently, but we've had a fair share of assignments. I appreciate the interest."
Quote:
Originally Posted by dino.
"Does looking at me funny count?" Redmire bit out before she could stop herself. She let out a huff and ran her tongue over her lips, fighting to keep her words in check before they came back around to bite her. Birdsnow decision final, fine, whatever. It would be Fadingsun's funeral once Birdsnow sunk RiverClan's ship and drowned literally everybody on it and then he had no one to snap at when he got grumpy.
But fine. If Birdsnow kept making a fool out of RiverClan, Redmire had no qualms handling the issue herself should it come to that.
Her ears twitched as Fadingsun carried on. 'Insulting a Lionheart' was definitely a stretch, especially when they'd been asking intentionally stupid questions and saying stupid things. There had been a whole bunch of stupid out of one mouth and the amount was, frankly, astounding. Record-breaking, even. Redmire felt her upper lip twitch and she wrestled it back down - the heat in her eyes said enough without her expression changing. She didn't like this guy's tone. Or his words. Or how he looked at her. Everything screamed self-important and smug and passive-aggressive, and the one good thing he had going for him was that he was actually listening to what she had to say.
Conversation permitted - great. She couldn't promise she would be prissy princess polite, but Redmire was fairly certain she could dial the insults down from twelve to two if she had to. Information sharing - fantastic. The last thing she wanted was to miss out on something, accidentally start a war, and then get smacked because she was kicked out of the Important Information Meeting and didn't get the chance to listen in before someone got to her. Each thing got a curt nod from her in acknowledgement.
But if he wanted her to tame her fire or whatever? "Then let me do that," she blurted. "RiverClan is my home and I want to protect it. All I've ever known of us is shambles and ruin. I want to make us better, I know we can be better. So make me a Lionheart so I can do that and know I'm doing it, or at least tell me how I can without having that role."
For as brash, abrasive, and crude as Redmire had proven herself to be, she did seem genuinely interested in helping RiverClan get back on the right side of history. Fadingsun only hoped that interest was in the right place; call him cynical, but over the past few moons he'd grown to see the negative side of most of his Clanmates more often than the positive. Especially when those cats were like Redmire.
"I'm not going to make you a Lionheart out of the blue, especially when you just got yourself thrown out of a meeting," he said coolly. "But if you adjust the way you bring yourself to others in this Clan, there's certainly a good possibility. You're a good warrior, and you are definitely dedicated to RiverClan. I can see that. In the meantime, aside from refraining from causing any further problems for the high ranks, we can always use extra paws helping train our apprentices. We've got a good few of them who have been in training for some time; it would be nice to see them achieve warrior status.
"Patrolling the outskirts border, offering extra help to Mistyshard, hosting events, strengthening our camp's defenses; all of those things can help out, too. Really, Redmire, I trust that you're smart enough to figure out how to be helpful. Just do it in a way that isn't so prickly, perhaps." His tone had grown more lighthearted.
Quote:
Originally Posted by starry
MISTYSHARD
she/her | riverclan medicine cat | 38 moons
dreamwalker ⦁ beefed up t2
Perfect, Fadingsun approved of her choice. The silver-furred medicine cat nodded thoughtfully as the leader mentioned not wanting another child's innocence lost. Maybe it would turn out to have been a bad decision. If Berrypaw ended up like Fawny, Stonepaw and Tansypaw.. she would be filled with guilt forever. However, she promised herself she would not let that happen. Berrypaw was dear to her and she wouldn't let that get ruined by a role in the clan. Perhaps a slow approach to everything and not overwhelming the 'paw would be helpful. She was definitely planning to talk with the apprentice once the news were announced to the clan - perhaps the talk would seem useless to Berrypaw but to Mistyshard, making sure her apprentice felt comfortable and guided meant the world.
"I won't let her innocence get lost too quickly, I promise. I'll make sure to guide her on every step of the way. She... I just feel like everything about her fits. But I will not overwhelm her." The lanky feline nodded, amber gaze meeting Fadingsun's. Sending Berrypaw over to come speak with the leader? Sure, she could do that. "Of course, I'll tell her to come over in a moment," she mewed casually.
"You know, with all these new beginnings, I am really starting to doubt the competence of some of our clanmates. But you're doing great so far, Fadingsun. I... I don't know if you need this but I suppose i'll say it anyways. I believe in you and your plans and hopes for RiverClan. Maybe it seems like an empty-hearted promise, but I don't say this to every leader. Just know that even with some cats not believing in you, you're doing great so far and I'm grateful to work with you. I think this will actually be a new beginning for this clan." A comforting smile appeared on her maw.
Smiling wasn't something that Fadingsun found himself doing all too frequently these days. With everything going on in RiverClan, there wasn't much reason to. When Mistyshard's words hit his ears, however, he did smile- a warm, genuine smile. Appreciation filled his heart; out of all the cats in the Clan, Mistyshard was one of the few he respected, whose approval he craved.
"I appreciate that, genuinely," he said, a soft purr rumbling in his throat. "For what it's worth, I think you're doing a great job so far, too. I hope this high rank team remains stable for a long time. We desperately need it, after the dung fest we've had over the past season-cycle and a half. If there's ever anything I can do to be of more help, please let me know."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dolomedes
Seabreeze
He/him | Riverclan Lionheart | Moons: 18 | Purrks: Go with the Flow | The Collector | Ultimate Predator |
“Ocean waters rising above your neck
You feel the glass start to crack.”
Seabreeze immediately felt guilty as he realized that he woke up his leader. But it would be worse to turn back now after he was already awake than it was to continue with the conversation. Though he wanted to turn back, he really did, Seabreeze still wasn’t sure about him and Rabbitpaw. But Rabbitpaw hasn’t been trained at all in a moon so it was something that needs to be addressed now, not later. Okay, this was fine, everything was fine. This wasn’t Seabreeze's fault, was it? The lionheart took a few moments to enter the den and then settle down to sit and talk, the absence of his tail rang out suddenly. The first time he’s noticed its absence in awhile…but he was stalling in his own mind. He needed to focus. After some time he finally got the words to… you know, communicate.
“I, umm, I’ve been trying my best with Rabbitpaw but I just… we’ve gotten nothing done for a moon. I’ve tried to talk with her several times, but she doesn’t really respond, very much, and I don’t want to push her because I went through something similar when I was an apprentice but… then she was at Owltalon’s event, which is great, but it made me realize that maybe training wasn’t the problem it was just training with me. I’ve been thinking about it and I mean, she’s my first apprentice so maybe that’s why, but I need help with trying to get things to work between us, or for Rabbitpaw to get a mentor who she wants to work with. You know?” The lionheart didn’t mean to ramble that much and the question could have been a lot more straightforward but this was something more personal and emotional for some stupid reason. It shouldn’t be. It was an observation and Seabreeze needed to make something work for his clan, he does that all the time, but again… knowing that Rabbitpaw wasn’t training or the likes because of him kind of hurt. He’s a warrior, a lionheart even, something like that shouldn’t be such a big deal… Maybe he wasn’t fit to be a lionheart.
How many warriors have this issue with their apprentices, does Owltalon have an apprentice? Is she dealing with something like this? Probably not. He thinks back to the apprentices that he has given lessons here and therefore it's always been something. Minkpaw seemed angry about him giving her lessons, Eaglepaw had been short with him in the beginning, Toadpaw left, the kit lessons fell through… Seabreeze shouldn’t have that many failures, but he hasn’t looked at them like that yet. Eaglepaw opened up after a small bit, Strawberrypaw was engaged and eager learner, Sagekit, Aspenkit, and Gullkit all came around, Ravenpaw and Beanpaw were active as well. It was… the failures were louder than the successes. He shouldn’t have any failures as a lionheart. As a proper warrior. Things were so busy, Seabreeze hadn’t even realized just how much he hasn’t hit the mark lately. He had felt okay in his obliviousness. But now he realized and now he had to be kind of upfront with his failures. He needed to get Rabbitpaw someone who can help her and if that wasn’t him then it wasn’t him. That was that.
Fadingsun felt his heart twist a little as he listened to Seabreeze's words. The Lionheart was truly one of the most hard-working, dedicated cats in the whole Clan. He didn't have a single regret making him a Lionheart. He was certainly the type to wear his heart on his pelt, and that was on full display right now.
With Fadingsun's growing cynicism and Dusklion's brashness, RiverClan really needed cats in its higher ranks who had a lot of compassion and depth to their heart. "I'm sure it has nothing to do with you," he said. "Some apprentices just have a hard time listening to their mentors, for whatever reason. Sometimes they rebel by going off and causing trouble; other times, they feel empowered by taking control of their own training. That being said, mentors exist for a reason, and if Rabbitpaw isn't cooperating with you, that's a problem."
Reaching up with a paw to scratch an itch behind his ear, he continued, "Go and fetch Rabbitpaw, and bring her here. We're going to get this settled. If you can't find her, come back and let me know."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dakotaa
——————
Pebblesplash
RiverClan Warrior ~A beautiful scarred white mollie, pale gray and ginger torbie markings with blue eyes~
☘︎ “Fades?” She wondered if she was even allowed to call him that. She walks into the leaders den, a bit shaken from what happened at the clan meeting. She didn’t know why he made the choices that he made. Taking a seat, she sighs. “You made quite the introduction for the new cats at today’s meeting…” She tried to be light hearted and funny, but it just made her feel sad. “Why did you do that… say that? Especially with kits around to hear…? Springkit looks pretty shaken from your words, other kits too… I’m just…” She takes a deep breath. “Fogs said some messed up stuff, yes, but I feel like your words went too far.”
☘︎ Moons ago, Pebblesplash would have acted in a similar way, so she felt like a hypocrite, sitting in his den, lecturing him. What else was she supposed to do? “Especially what Talonpaw did, it worries me. Sure he was sticking up for his den mate, but doesn’t a tongue getting ripped out sound… extreme…?” She flicked her tail. “If all RiverClanners ripped the tongue out of our enemies, we would be no better than ThunderClan. I get you want us to be fierce, but to our own clanmates? At least, former clanmates. And Fogs father watched the whole thing. It worries me,” Pebblesplash paused, and then sighed again.
☘︎ “Two wrongs don’t make a right, and although it’s said and done, I feel like things like that should be prevented in the future. Like maybe next time you ask that the lionhearts take cats out of camp, or execute them privately… I feel as if you shouldn’t be putting murder and death onto the minds of RiverClan cats. The code states that…” she hopes he wouldn’t find her words rude. She just needed a reason to his madness.
——————
(Notes: let’s make this quick!) ——————
Fadingsun had been expecting cats to come see him after the whole situation at the Floodstone, which was why he'd spent a few hours out in the territory after the meeting had concluded. His anger had long since died down, but something within him still felt... different. It wasn't anything significant, but it was like a little piece of his heart had shifted in a different direction.
He wasn't particularly thrilled to see Pebblesplash of all cats coming to see him. The way the molly had handled the rat problem still didn't sit particularly well with him, and on top of that she'd deliberately disobeyed his orders to remain and watch the execution. He hoped she wasn't a sympathizer of Fogmuzzle's, but listening to her words, he wasn't entirely sure.
"I had a right to say what I said," he replied levelly. "Fogmuzzle threatened her Clanmates. She made a mockery of Dusklion and I by suggesting we'd kill cats for expressing an opinion. That's not something I'm willing to tolerate. The safety of this Clan comes above everything else for me; if anyone threatens that, they need to be handled. In this case, Fogmuzzle proved herself an enemy of this Clan with her words.
"If I had chosen to exile her instead of have her killed, what then? What if she'd come back and attacked, possibly killed, one of our own? I'd rather have her in the dirt than someone who's loyal, well-intentioned, and dedicated to their Clan. As for making it a public execution, this Clan needs to understand that I mean business when I say that there'll be consequences for their decisions. Because of the foolishness, recklessness, and mis-guided actions of our own, we're about to go to war with another Clan. I don't intend on making future executions public, but I needed all of the warriors in this Clan to see that I'm not going to allow cats to threaten our own like that."
He sank down into a loaf position, curling his tail around himself. "Talonpaw was wrong to rip Fogmuzzle's tongue out in front of everyone, and I made sure he was told that. What's done is done, and he won't be punished for it this time, but I agree with you that it was wrong of him to do that when he did. As for the warrior code, it's obsolete. It's been that way for a long time. I make decisions based on what's going to ensure my Clan's survival; if that conflicts with the moral opinions of long-dead cats, then so be it."
Frankly, he didn't want to have to be like this. He didn't want to have to execute his own, much less publicly. His heart was still twisted all up in knots from the thinking he'd done out in the territory. But, he was RiverClan's leader, and that meant that he had to be willing to do harsh things for their own good, even if it made him out to be the bad guy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Forgetfulshape
Skyfall had just gotten back to camp, and decided to immediately inform Fadingsun of what had happened. He padded over to the leader's den and sat himself down before speaking.
"Fadingsun, i-if you'll permit me to explain, Dusklion has just had to exile Appleberry for trying to hurt her. Grimpaw got in the way of a hit, but Crowglow is handling that right now. What matters, is that I was right when I thought he was up to something and I needed to let you know of Appleberry's exile... he lied not only to the clan but mainly to me, by saying he was there for me and cared about me... if only I'd known sooner what he was truly up to, I would've made sure he regretted it... B-but, at least I don't have to constantly worry about him anymore!.. right..?" Skyfall meowed politely and in a tone that showed pain and regret and hurt.
@occultation
Stalking into the den after Skyfall with an irritated expression on her face, Dusklion lashed her tail as she spotted her brother. "Tryin' to hurt me? He tried to kill me, Fades." A glare was shot towards Skyfall, then back at her brother. "We need to keep watch over him, 'n Raininpaw needs a new mentor. I exiled Appleberry from RiverClan, 'n he fled after Skyfall attacked him." Now that the adrenaline was wearing off, the deputy was realizing how shaken up she was after the whole ordeal.
"Skyfall, if you suspected your brother was up to somethin', why didn't you let either one of us know? Why only wait until after your sorry excuse of a brother tried to murder me, hmm?" Pissed off was a great way to explain how Dusklion felt right now as her piercing gaze turned towards the cat in her brothers den. Underneath it, carefully concealed and tucked away, was fear. Fear that Appleberry wasn't the only cat in this Clan that wanted to end her life.
Nervously Rainingpaw walked over to the leaders den. She was planning to talk to Fadeingstar about the way in-which he had handled Fogmuzzle. Most of the kits were terrified and she believed that maybe she could talk it out. Suddenly her clanmates Skyfall and Dusklion rushed past her she worriedly padded over to the entrance. Smelling blood, she stifled a gasp. Is Skyfall alright? Has he done something wrong? she worriedly wondered. She desperately hoped that he wasn't next.
It genuinely seemed like his Clan wanted to self-implode. Either that, or the universe had a real funny way of testing him.
Fury lit his eyes as he listened to these reports. Appleberry had seemed like a genuine, well-intentioned warrior; why in the hell had he gone off and done something like that? Was it all a farce, a ruse to gain his trust so he'd have an easier time of getting to his sister? His claws tore into his nest; when this was finished, he was going to find him. He'd make sure he paid, one way or another. He was lucky his sister hadn't sustained any significant damage, otherwise he'd tear him limb from limb.
His eyes caught sight of Rainingpaw behind Dusklion and Skyfall; she certainly didn't need to be witness to this. "Rainingpaw," he called, trying not to let his anger come through. "Wait outside until I call you in. There are some things we need to discuss."
With that handled, he returned his attention to Dusklion and Skyfall. His sister's choice to let Appleberry live was something he could touch on later, when the prying ears of his Clanmates didn't surround them. She'd always had a hesitance to kill to protect herself.
"Dusklion is right," he growled. "If you were suspicious of Appleberry, you should've come to us. Frankly, Skyfall, I'm beginning to suspect that loyalty to RiverClan isn't in your heart as it should be. Why else would you keep such suspicions to yourself? Either that, or you foolishly thought you could be the one to save the day. Either way, your choice put Dusklion's life at risk for no reason, and that isn't acceptable. So, you'd better have an incredibly good reason as to why you kept this information to yourself."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fish
"You."
Adderpaw started with no warmth in her voice. She offered no respect, no honor, no fealty, no she was going up to this cat as if he was an equal. Not a leader that she had to bow down to but she wouldn't go as far to throw fowl words. No she needed to keep her pelt and needed to get a point across.
"Can I talk to you?"
After his conversation with Pebblesplash was finished, another cat came to visit. Probably coming to argue against his decision, as well. Hearing Adderpaw's terse voice ask to speak to him, he nodded. "Come in. What's on your mind?"
__________________
Fadingstar is currently RiverClan's leader. He has an open den policy; his den can be found here. If you have any questions or concerns about RiverClan, or any plots to propose, feel free to leave me a VM or DM! Please do not take my characters' IC opinions as reflective of my own.
Last edited by occultation; May 11th, 2024 at 11:25 PM.
Stalking into the den after Skyfall with an irritated expression on her face, Dusklion lashed her tail as she spotted her brother. "Tryin' to hurt me? He tried to kill me, Fades." A glare was shot towards Skyfall, then back at her brother. "We need to keep watch over him, 'n Raininpaw needs a new mentor. I exiled Appleberry from RiverClan, 'n he fled after Skyfall attacked him." Now that the adrenaline was wearing off, the deputy was realizing how shaken up she was after the whole ordeal.
"Skyfall, if you suspected your brother was up to somethin', why didn't you let either one of us know? Why only wait until after your sorry excuse of a brother tried to murder me, hmm?" Pissed off was a great way to explain how Dusklion felt right now as her piercing gaze turned towards the cat in her brothers den. Underneath it, carefully concealed and tucked away, was fear. Fear that Appleberry wasn't the only cat in this Clan that wanted to end her life.
"I didn't have the chance to. Well, that and I kinda may or may not be scared of Dusklion cause of what she did to Fogmuzzle." Skyfall spat that name like venom. His ears were flat as he felt his tail lash in pure hatred. "...I didn't have a chance, plus I couldn't piece it all together before he tried to do what he did. I may be strong but I'm definitely one cat short of a den." He quietly looked down. "And I couldn't bring myself to believe my own brother was up to something. He... he had been there my whole life... and now he does something as dumb as that..." he meowed gently, clearly starting to feel the emotions build up. He tried to bottle up his emotions. He'd let them out later. And if he saw that rat he used to call family, he'd rip that little traitor into tiny pieces himself.
"...I'll just go. I-If you're going to punish me, do so at the next meeting. I don't care what you do- whether its killing or just demoting- but I won't let go of anything anymore. I'll... Im done being a friendly guy. I've got to change. So I don't feel related to that... that jerk I once called family..." he meowed, mumbling as he began to stumble away.
@occultation
It had made her sick. Her stomach twisting at each action he took, each worse than the last. Something needed to be said but... Stickpaw going through the possible conversation multiple times as he enters the den. The apprentice is filled with fear, would their words get her exiled? Murder wasn't out of the den and now Stickpaw was now forced to walk on eggshells. This leadership was harsh, similar to Shadowclan...
Leader's word is law.
"Hi, um Fadingsun. I don't mean to disrespect you, embarrass you, or make you seem insane..." Her breathing picks up as Stickpaw stands far away from him. She refused to sit or be near him in this state. Was he next to be killed? We're they next to be exiled? The apprentice lets silence grow for
an uncomfortable few heartbeats. They are terrified and it showed in the shakiness of her voice. Ears pinned as their white paws become the focus of their vision. She didn't even want to look at him.
"Was that really....needed. The kill was enough....but the tongue and the pelt? When you were given the role of Leader, it was meant to be a guide for the clan. I hate Fogmuzzle, she spoke terribly to by den mate but taking her pelt...? Why are you acting like Dawnstar? This isn't "putting a paw down", this isn't "you standing your ground", and it definitely isn't you "using your position for good". This is barbaric behavior, Fadingsun. I just want an answer as to why." She is shaking and they know they are. Ears pinned back as she stares blankly at his own paws.
☘︎ “Death… Is a touchy subject. I agree with the punishment ,she was threatening death, she deserves the claims she was making…” Although she hated to admit it, the execution was necessary. Threatening the next generation of warriors wasn’t acceptable at all, and Pebblesplash understood that. “And fades…? If you need anything at all, lemme know…” her voice was soft, and the comment came out of nowhere…
☘︎ “Being a leader… It’s tough. Snowleap opened up to me about the pressures and what not… I would hate to see such a strong cat crumble like many of our other leaders unfortunately have. You have a strong clan of strong cats willing to support ya, so use it as you will. You can’t fight without drawing your claws, ya know?” Pebblesplash was older than fades, so her offering advice wasn’t much of a surprise. She was approaching 50 moons soon… Pebblesplash turns around and begins to leave, but she stops and turns around.
☘︎ “and about the rat situation, I’m sorry for not telling ya the moment I got back. I dunno what was goin through my head… I guess it was the fact that I had been rehearsing my words for my return… The rats were much of a shock to me, and I messed up my order of speaking. Meant to tell you about the rats first. Alright, I’ll be heading out now. Thanks for listening to my concerns…” she turns to leave again.
——————
(Notes: Okay, this should be the last reply!) ——————
Fadingsun met Crowglow's eyes with a steady gaze. On one paw, if his Clanmates feared him it might mean they'd be more inclined to listen to him. The fact that appealed to him made him feel rather uncomfortable, but he could sort that out later. On the other paw, he didn't want to jump off the deep end along with the rest of this stars-forsaken Clan.
"If you want to be helpful, the very best thing you can do right now is simply just your duty as a warrior," he said honestly. "Stay out of trouble. Don't go trying to solve our Clan's problems; if something happens that concerns you, come to me, another high rank, or one of the Lionhearts instead of trying to solve it yourself. Listen to what you're told to do, and always put your Clan first. If you do those things, you'll be a great help to me and to your Clan."
This was the second warrior in recent memory that had come to him asking for an apprentice. It made him feel warm inside, knowing that some of RiverClan's warriors were determined to help them get back on course, even in the simpler ways. Training new warriors was one of the Clan's most important tasks, so having cats who were more than willing to help with it was always great.
"I'll see about getting you an apprentice as soon as I can. RiverClan hasn't had too many kits coming out of the nursery recently, but we've had a fair share of assignments. I appreciate the interest."
For as brash, abrasive, and crude as Redmire had proven herself to be, she did seem genuinely interested in helping RiverClan get back on the right side of history. Fadingsun only hoped that interest was in the right place; call him cynical, but over the past few moons he'd grown to see the negative side of most of his Clanmates more often than the positive. Especially when those cats were like Redmire.
"I'm not going to make you a Lionheart out of the blue, especially when you just got yourself thrown out of a meeting," he said coolly. "But if you adjust the way you bring yourself to others in this Clan, there's certainly a good possibility. You're a good warrior, and you are definitely dedicated to RiverClan. I can see that. In the meantime, aside from refraining from causing any further problems for the high ranks, we can always use extra paws helping train our apprentices. We've got a good few of them who have been in training for some time; it would be nice to see them achieve warrior status.
"Patrolling the outskirts border, offering extra help to Mistyshard, hosting events, strengthening our camp's defenses; all of those things can help out, too. Really, Redmire, I trust that you're smart enough to figure out how to be helpful. Just do it in a way that isn't so prickly, perhaps." His tone had grown more lighthearted.
Smiling wasn't something that Fadingsun found himself doing all too frequently these days. With everything going on in RiverClan, there wasn't much reason to. When Mistyshard's words hit his ears, however, he did smile- a warm, genuine smile. Appreciation filled his heart; out of all the cats in the Clan, Mistyshard was one of the few he respected, whose approval he craved.
"I appreciate that, genuinely," he said, a soft purr rumbling in his throat. "For what it's worth, I think you're doing a great job so far, too. I hope this high rank team remains stable for a long time. We desperately need it, after the dung fest we've had over the past season-cycle and a half. If there's ever anything I can do to be of more help, please let me know."
Fadingsun felt his heart twist a little as he listened to Seabreeze's words. The Lionheart was truly one of the most hard-working, dedicated cats in the whole Clan. He didn't have a single regret making him a Lionheart. He was certainly the type to wear his heart on his pelt, and that was on full display right now.
With Fadingsun's growing cynicism and Dusklion's brashness, RiverClan really needed cats in its higher ranks who had a lot of compassion and depth to their heart. "I'm sure it has nothing to do with you," he said. "Some apprentices just have a hard time listening to their mentors, for whatever reason. Sometimes they rebel by going off and causing trouble; other times, they feel empowered by taking control of their own training. That being said, mentors exist for a reason, and if Rabbitpaw isn't cooperating with you, that's a problem."
Reaching up with a paw to scratch an itch behind his ear, he continued, "Go and fetch Rabbitpaw, and bring her here. We're going to get this settled. If you can't find her, come back and let me know."
Fadingsun had been expecting cats to come see him after the whole situation at the Floodstone, which was why he'd spent a few hours out in the territory after the meeting had concluded. His anger had long since died down, but something within him still felt... different. It wasn't anything significant, but it was like a little piece of his heart had shifted in a different direction.
He wasn't particularly thrilled to see Pebblesplash of all cats coming to see him. The way the molly had handled the rat problem still didn't sit particularly well with him, and on top of that she'd deliberately disobeyed his orders to remain and watch the execution. He hoped she wasn't a sympathizer of Fogmuzzle's, but listening to her words, he wasn't entirely sure.
"I had a right to say what I said," he replied levelly. "Fogmuzzle threatened her Clanmates. She made a mockery of Dusklion and I by suggesting we'd kill cats for expressing an opinion. That's not something I'm willing to tolerate. The safety of this Clan comes above everything else for me; if anyone threatens that, they need to be handled. In this case, Fogmuzzle proved herself an enemy of this Clan with her words.
"If I had chosen to exile her instead of have her killed, what then? What if she'd come back and attacked, possibly killed, one of our own? I'd rather have her in the dirt than someone who's loyal, well-intentioned, and dedicated to their Clan. As for making it a public execution, this Clan needs to understand that I mean business when I say that there'll be consequences for their decisions. Because of the foolishness, recklessness, and mis-guided actions of our own, we're about to go to war with another Clan. I don't intend on making future executions public, but I needed all of the warriors in this Clan to see that I'm not going to allow cats to threaten our own like that."
He sank down into a loaf position, curling his tail around himself. "Talonpaw was wrong to rip Fogmuzzle's tongue out in front of everyone, and I made sure he was told that. What's done is done, and he won't be punished for it this time, but I agree with you that it was wrong of him to do that when he did. As for the warrior code, it's obsolete. It's been that way for a long time. I make decisions based on what's going to ensure my Clan's survival; if that conflicts with the moral opinions of long-dead cats, then so be it."
Frankly, he didn't want to have to be like this. He didn't want to have to execute his own, much less publicly. His heart was still twisted all up in knots from the thinking he'd done out in the territory. But, he was RiverClan's leader, and that meant that he had to be willing to do harsh things for their own good, even if it made him out to be the bad guy.
It genuinely seemed like his Clan wanted to self-implode. Either that, or the universe had a real funny way of testing him.
Fury lit his eyes as he listened to these reports. Appleberry had seemed like a genuine, well-intentioned warrior; why in the hell had he gone off and done something like that? Was it all a farce, a ruse to gain his trust so he'd have an easier time of getting to his sister? His claws tore into his nest; when this was finished, he was going to find him. He'd make sure he paid, one way or another. He was lucky his sister hadn't sustained any significant damage, otherwise he'd tear him limb from limb.
His eyes caught sight of Rainingpaw behind Dusklion and Skyfall; she certainly didn't need to be witness to this. "Rainingpaw," he called, trying not to let his anger come through. "Wait outside until I call you in. There are some things we need to discuss."
With that handled, he returned his attention to Dusklion and Skyfall. His sister's choice to let Appleberry live was something he could touch on later, when the prying ears of his Clanmates didn't surround them. She'd always had a hesitance to kill to protect herself.
"Dusklion is right," he growled. "If you were suspicious of Appleberry, you should've come to us. Frankly, Skyfall, I'm beginning to suspect that loyalty to RiverClan isn't in your heart as it should be. Why else would you keep such suspicions to yourself? Either that, or you foolishly thought you could be the one to save the day. Either way, your choice put Dusklion's life at risk for no reason, and that isn't acceptable. So, you'd better have an incredibly good reason as to why you kept this information to yourself."
After his conversation with Pebblesplash was finished, another cat came to visit. Probably coming to argue against his decision, as well. Hearing Adderpaw's terse voice ask to speak to him, he nodded. "Come in. What's on your mind?"
(Crow n' grim now)
Crowglow gave a soft nod, understanding what his leader had said. Grimpaw also nodded before padding back to his mentor.
"We'll be off now. Grimpaw wants to start his battle training and I have a few tricks he's eager to see!" Crowglow then meowed as the two ran off. But Grimpaw did shout a quick "Bye fadingsun" as he left.
Duskleaf hurriedly made his way over to the leader’s den, unable to disguise the look of worry on his face. Not for what happened the meeting, but for his father. He hadn’t seen Reedclaw in days, which was certainly strange. He would usually see his father a few times every day, so after a few days of not seeing him, Duskleaf started to worry. What if something had happened to him?
"Fadingsun? I-I know you’re busy, but I've got a problem." He took a few steps forward, before sitting down. "I haven’t seen Reedclaw — my father — for days now, and I'm starting to worry about him." He hoped that Fadingsun would understand, and not just tell him to stop wasting time. Would he do that? Duskleaf’s mind was going at a hundred miles per hour, he automatically assumed the worst right now. "It's really unusual, he never does this, I’ve searched the entire camp but he’s nowhere to be found, it’s as if he just vanished." Then he felt a chill up his spine as he remembered the last thing Reedclaw had said to him before disappearing. "The last thing he said to me was that he was going out hunting and he'd be back very soon…but I didn’t see him again after that, and that was several days ago now. At first I hoped he'd come back, but now I’ve started to get really worried about him, what if he’s hurt, or, or…worse?" A part of him felt embarrassed. What exactly did he want Fadingsun to do? And what would his leader think of him now? What am I doing? He asked himself. Fadingsun clearly had a lot of important things to be dealing with. "S-sorry if I’ve wasted your time." He said, taking a few steps back.
@occultation (By the way, Reedclaw was murdered by Eveningthaw at the ThunderClan border, but of course Duskleaf doesn’t know yet and I thought it would make sense for him to start getting worried after a while, although there is a patrol who’ll find the body, Duskleaf still has no idea where his father went and he wasn’t called for the patrols, so he didn’t think anything of them)
__________________
"You'll take the high road and I'll take the low road
And I'll be in Scotland before ye
Where me and my true love shall never meet again
On the bonnie bonnie banks of Loch Lomond!"
After his conversation with Pebblesplash was finished, another cat came to visit. Probably coming to argue against his decision, as well. Hearing Adderpaw's terse voice ask to speak to him, he nodded. "Come in. What's on your mind?"
"Right I want to talk about a few things, sorry in advance if I say something out of line, I'm just well, bit emotional right now I guess." Adderpaw huffed out feeling her muscles tense thinking about what she had seen. It was a hard horror to shake out of her mind thinking about what was done in front of the entire clan. "Right so..."
"I will admit that I missed what Fogmuzzle has said to begin with as the start of what seems like a migraine was setting in so I'll give that to you. I would have said something about how we have exiled cats that spit threats out but let's say she had to die for the fun of this..." Right, the fun.
"What in the world were you thinking? That was horrible!" Adderpaw said finally letting out all of the shock that she was storing in her mind. She had to chase her mind to try and keep herself calm, to keep herself from saying anything terrible to her leader. "This felt like some code-less and honor-less action that just took place out there. Kill the cat if you think that is what is to make the clan safer, but torture does not bring anything good. This cat was already pinned down and couldn't defend herself anymore but you wanted her death to be slow and painful? That's madness!"
Adderpaw wondered if looking up to higher ranks was worth her time anymore, worth her dedication, her blind support. No, that was only reserved for Larkstar and until she came back to leading this clan she wasn't going to blindly support anyone who held a rank higher than her anymore.
“With that you had no qualms with another cat ripping her tongue out while she was still alive and able to scream? Another paw? And in courage by offering ‘trophies’. What example is that supposed to make for the rest of the clan that you forced the older cats to see?”
She shook her head and sighed.
“Fadingsun I speak to you out of genuine concern for the clan and its well being. Sure you wanted to teach the warriors a lesson about what happens to traitors, but this makes us seem like the stories that queens tell their kits of Shadowclan. Unbelievable brutality that only a kit could believe but the clan is making real.” She bit her lip for a moment. Would Fadingsun listen to her or just kick her out? Demote her? Exile her? To be honest he made her scared enough by that display to think he would do worse than that.
“I feel like the clan is only going to end up seeing you as a tyrant despite what you wanted to seem like and this discontent will only brew longer and longer and maybe that fear of rebellion will actually rise up against you. I do not wish to see the day when that happens and that's why I came here to talk to you about it. I feel like we need to pull back from torture right now, before things get set in this way. Before cats think that they need to rise up against you since well…”
“You made yourself seem so scary.” To me. "What do cats do when they are scared? They lash out. Please just be careful."
Berrypaw had paused right at the entrance of the den, taking in a few deep breaths. You can do this. You can do it! No matter how much she chanted it to herself in her head, it didn't stop the restlessness of her paws.
The apprentice sighed. She'd just accepted the role as medicine cat apprentice — this was a whole new beginning for her! And if Mistyshard accepted her, well... she had to believe she could do it. She was chosen over so many other cats, after all — it had to mean something.
Taking in another deep inhale, Berrypaw cleared her tightened throat and tried to call out before padding farther into the den. "F..." Her voice had faltered right after the first syllable, like her mouth had filled with cattail fluff. Internally cursing her own timidity, she cleared her throat again and called out, louder this time. "...Fadingsun? I-It's me, Berrypaw... Mistyshard's new apprentice. She sent me here... to meet you..."
There. She'd done it! Hopefully Fadingsun just didn't hear all the shakiness in her voice. The apprentice waited by the entrance, her heartbeat picking up as she anticipated her leader's reply.
Wisteriawren hadn't intended to end up here - but she couldn't help it. Meetings the Clans (that was what they were called, right? clan meetings?) made her sad, because both of them so far had been filled to the brim with yelling. And if she was feeling sad, then how sad did Fadingsun feel?? Wordlessly plopping down in front of the den that she was guessing belonged to the orange and black tabby (she'd seen him disappear into it for long periods of time and was making an educated guess), Wisteriawren rest her head on her paws to wait.
Fadingsun had left camp after the most recent meeting, she knew. He'd taken Dusklion with him, and while normally Wisteriawren would have wanted to follow them (because even Dusklion had looked so sad it made her sad), she'd stayed behind because Fadingsun had said nobody was to go after them. So now here she was instead, waiting for him to come back, a smooth pebble between her paws.
Except, waiting got boring, and her paws itched to move, but she'd made up her mind not to. Simple to say that her waiting transferred into boredom, and her boredom transferred into falling asleep right there on the sand.
[ @occultation - Fadingsun | Saw Fading's den policy was open so Take as long as you need lol, there's no purpose to this visit besides Wisteria giving him a pebble / possibly asking for battle training ]
Re: RiverClan Leader's Den
Berryshine is RiverClan's medicine cat! 
Take as long as you need lol, there's no purpose to this visit besides Wisteria giving him a pebble / possibly asking for battle training ]
