I belive Crowtuft Is INNOCENT! Badgersnap snarled, Whilst Dewsong ushered her mother to quiet her dissagreement, though she thought this aswell.
driftingsoul
warrior | 23 moons | she/they
When you think you’ve heard it all…now this? He just straight up admitted to it basically. Others can’t face the facts and it absolutely showed. Driftingsoul takes another step back away from Bravebird, nodding her head to avoid seeming disrespectful to the older warrior that they had offered to help heartbeats before. Cats just yapping words without the proper care to even think of what nonsense they were spewing. The shecat stumbles upon the words they were looking for. Ear’s perking as a tom speaks up in defense of the medicine cat, tired eyes trying to find him in the crowd. Then another one caught her attention, better to simply discuss it now rather than have Twilightstar on her ass later about picking an argument.
“Oi, Badgersnap, and Wolffang. I don’t mean to sound- uh rude I guess, but I don’t think a simple demotions is going to solve this situation, the guy basically admitted he was negligent about the whole thing and that the fact others died. I don’t see what a simple demotion would do, hell, Cowtuft could be lying and have coated the herbs himself. I don’t think that a little demotion will undone the damage this has done,” Driftingsoul stares at Badgersnap before turning to Wolffang, giving a slight nod of respect towards both. “Its temporary demotion or death, one won’t change anything and the ladder solves it all, in my eyes, starclan is giving us the chance to get rid of the destruction that Cowtuft brought back with him. The whole Snowfever? Right after Cowtuft was given his name, I just- open your eyes is all i’m saying…” The Shecat takes a step back. Clearing their throat before turning away. Looking back as they speak a last statement, as they got closer to Bravebird once again, “It’s the clan or him…and in my eyes, it’s the clan that matters more,”
Driftingsoul returns to where she was previously, once again looking at Bravebird, now noticing the other cat thatwas near, Hawkfur. The closeness of Hawkfur and Bravebird reminded Driftingsoul of her own relationship, hm. Interesting how one could simply rely on another for comfort, even in a situation like this. The reminder of her fur in the colors of the winds, it stuck with Driftingsoul… it would always stick, just like the final words. “there was some invisible heather tying you to me, and it will remain…alive or not”
[ @tallulah ( glances and nod towards brave ), @nyancatminecart ]
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✰ [ hunting kat and dark in leafí’s basement ] ✰
“secrets you bury deep within the sand
like truth trapped in the night
the fears behind your eyes”
She had remained crouched until Basilthroat sat next to her. Why? She only said a few things to him, right? She ducked her head to give her chest fur a few ruffled licks, trying not to show how surprised she was by it. She shuffled her paws awkwardly at the unexpected company, trying to think of a response that wasn't hissed, spat or snarled in his direction.
"Well, thankfully fur hasn't started flying yet," She mewed after a moment in an attempt at humor, if not but to try and lighten the mood.
Basilthroat
They/He~Windclan~24 Moons
"I don't need the world to see
That I've been the best I can be"
"Yeah" he chuckled looking up a little bit. "Bravebird, Fallownose, or Twilightstar hasn't ripped anyone's ears off..yet" Basilthroat joked "Bravebird did that to me once I nearly became crowfood!".
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★☆"There is no show without an Audience!"☆★
Gentlecrab is Beachclan's Medicine cat, pearl has a semi-open den policy
Please use tone tags when speaking to me Character website Commisions
♡ s o f t s o n g she/her - 98 moons - WindClan - aroace - tags; @tallulah @Moonraven ___________________________________
All this fighting... it was like time had looped back around to repeat itself, reminding her of the last time she'd defended Cowtuft. Back when the accusations had seemed nothing more than a desperate reach for someone to blame from a grief-stricken mother. Softsong had spoken out against her then... but here it was. The truth. Regardless of intent, Peachfrost had been right: Cowtuft had been responsible for the death of her daughter.
"Peachfrost was exiled for her accusations and aggression towards Cowtuft," she called above the noise, "but despite what we thought at the time, she was right to be suspicious. It may have seemed unfounded and over-aggressive at the time, but knowing what we know now..." she trailed off for a moment.
"Peachfrost is now guilty of nothing but speaking the truth and being volatile in her grief. Will any effort be made to right the wrong done to her?"
Basilthroat
They/He~Windclan~24 Moons
"I don't need the world to see
That I've been the best I can be"
"Yeah" he chuckled looking up a little bit. "Bravebird, Fallownose, or Twilightstar hasn't ripped anyone's ears off..yet" Basilthroat joked "Bravebird did that to me once I nearly became crowfood!".
Swiftfire-Warrior-She/Her
"It isn't going to end well," Swiftfire murmured, "I'm going to need to go hunting when this is over...something to take the edge off. I don't like thinking we can't trust our Clanmates...but it just seems to be what it is. Little better than a pack of rogues with some rules and religion is what this is boiling down to..." She clamped her jaws shut at that point, flicking a worried glance at Basilthroat. Had she said too much? Ugh, she was awful with her lack of self-control when it came to her thoughts.
"You..can forget that I said that." She muttered after a moment, looking away to avoid their gaze.
"It isn't going to end well," Swiftfire murmured, "I'm going to need to go hunting when this is over...something to take the edge off. I don't like thinking we can't trust our Clanmates...but it just seems to be what it is. Little better than a pack of rogues with some rules and religion is what this is boiling down to..." She clamped her jaws shut at that point, flicking a worried glance at Basilthroat. Had she said too much? Ugh, she was awful with her lack of self-control when it came to her thoughts.
"You..can forget that I said that." She muttered after a moment, looking away to avoid their gaze.
Basilthroat
They/He~Windclan~24 Moons
"I don't need the world to see
That I've been the best I can be"
"You..You're right" he sighed "If this can happen to us it could happen to any of the clans. We should bring it to the next gathering" Basilthroat drawled. "As a warning".
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★☆"There is no show without an Audience!"☆★
Gentlecrab is Beachclan's Medicine cat, pearl has a semi-open den policy
Please use tone tags when speaking to me Character website Commisions
Basilthroat
They/He~Windclan~24 Moons
"I don't need the world to see
That I've been the best I can be"
"You..You're right" he sighed "If this can happen to us it could happen to any of the clans. We should bring it to the next gathering" Basilthroat drawled. "As a warning".
Swiftfire-Warrior-She/Her
"Wait, I am?" Swiftfire turned her gaze back around to Basilthroat, the pale yellow pair of eyes filled with puzzlement. "Really? I don't think we should...it would make us look weak and dysfunctional...easy targets for the other Clans to pick off of." She meowed evenly, "If you were in ShadowClan, and this was happening, you can bet your next two mouse-tails that every cat, even your leader, will be telling you to keep all of this within the Clan."
"But I do understand your concern too...it's just... this problem is strictly WindClan's right now." She added after a moment, turning her gaze back to the black and white tom, accused of murder in the second degree at the very least.
"Wait, I am?" Swiftfire turned her gaze back around to Basilthroat, the pale yellow pair of eyes filled with puzzlement. "Really? I don't think we should...it would make us look weak and dysfunctional...easy targets for the other Clans to pick off of." She meowed evenly, "If you were in ShadowClan, and this was happening, you can bet your next two mouse-tails that every cat, even your leader, will be telling you to keep all of this within the Clan."
"But I do understand your concern too...it's just... this problem is strictly WindClan's right now." She added after a moment, turning her gaze back to the black and white tom, accused of murder in the second degree at the very least.
Basilthroat
They/He~Windclan~24 Moons
"I don't need the world to see
That I've been the best I can be"
"Yeah.." he trailed off. "Well im gonna go rest and hopefully wake up when it's all done, thanks for the chat you actually calmed me down a bit" they smiled cheerfully at the she-cat. Basilthroat padded off to the warriors' den.
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★☆"There is no show without an Audience!"☆★
Gentlecrab is Beachclan's Medicine cat, pearl has a semi-open den policy
Please use tone tags when speaking to me Character website Commisions
*-Lichenpaw-* 104/100
she/her || 11moons small and scruffy calico with one blinding eye
It's all so much... she feels sick. But Hawkfur is there and she feels... a little better? Maybe? Not really. She's grateful for the comfort, though. And then... Cowtuft starts explaining and it's exactly what she thought it'd be... and it also isn't. He didn't do it on purpose, at least, but Lichenpaw feels even more sick when he says he forgot about the deathberries. Does he even remember how many he had started with? Is the number he has now less than that? It must be... but who was the one poisoning the clan.
She has to sit down, confusion, sympathy and broken trust warring in her head. Her trust in Cowtuft himself remains steadfast, but in his herb supply? In his ability to actually pay attention to his stores? Her trust in that is tarnished and she wants him nowhere near the medicine den ever again. Demotion feels too little a punishment, death seems too harsh - but she reminds herself that, intentional or not, he did allow seven cats to die because of him. Exile? That also feels too little.
If she just refused to believe any of what he said, could she just live forever in plausible deniability? Part of her wants to. She wants to walk out of camp right now and not return until much later, when she's certain that Cowtuft will have met his fate. And then she won't go to the next meeting. And she won't go to the gathering. And every time someone brings up the name Cowtuft she'll cover her ears and start screaming. She'll never have to hear what really happened. The image of the kind medicine cat that had been there for her whole life would never be tarnished.
She doesn't leave, though, she needs to hear this. If not for herself, then to stand in solidarity with the rest of the clan, to demand what penance is rightfully due.
*-Sweetkit-*
she/her // 5 moons brown masked tabby with a white chest
There's a tail wrapped around her, and the comfort is nice, but Sweetkit doesn't really want it. She's sad for this cat, she's sad for Cowie, being accused and saying he knows he didn't poison them but being blamed anyway. She's just really sad. A couple of the big cats offer to bury Leafspot, Sweetkit wants to help, so, mustering her courage, she speaks to them in a small, quiet voice; "Can I come with you? To burys him? I can bes helpful, I promise."
Bravebird
She/her | 41 moons | Beefed Up T3 • One with the Warren
Hawkfur's tail over her back to assure her that he would be right back was like a lifeline tossed to her; Bravebird watched silently as he moved to comfort Lichenpaw, admiring how he was with her. She found herself watching the interaction until Leafspot's name was brought up again, and her blue eyes turned to catch Driftingsoul's gaze. The lilac warrior gave a nod of gratitude; it would be good to not have to bury the body alone.
Then the cat she had been waiting for emerged, and Bravebird's gaze locked onto Cowtuft. She watched his gestures closely, trying to decipher what he was saying. Most of it she understood, enough to where the breath she had been drawing in hitched in her throat. He... had brought the death berries into camp? Had hidden them?? Only he had known about them?? Suddenly she felt her heart shift in her chest and was convinced she was going to be sick.
Fear was evident in her gaze as she looked at Cowtuft, true and genuine fear. The loud thump thump thump of her heart rang in her ears alongside the roar of blood. Even if he wasn't directly involved or have malicious intents, this was... wrong. Distasteful of not just a medicine cat, but of a WindClan warrior in general. There were so many times that he could've noticed it sounded like, so why hadn't he? Was that neglectfulness, in and of itself, malicious intent? Brave wasn't as sure of his innocence now as she had been before - and it crushed her.
Most of the voices were muddled - Crowtooth's made it through and she looked at her friend with a numb expression. His thoughts made sense. Cowtuft was good and he was skilled and experienced and had cared for WindClan for a long time. But this... some cat needed to take responsibility and it fell on his shoulders, as unfortunate as that may be. Blue eyes wavered as she watched the tom slink over and settle next to her - as his face turned to bury into her fur she tucked her head over his, nose going to his ear in a sign of comfort.
Demotion. It was the main punishment called for, but the thought of having Cowtuft anywhere near their herbs made Brave sick. Lightningstorm's voice, full of grief and shock and asking why he had done it, broke her shattered heart even more as she lifted her head to look at the medicine cat. She couldn't imagine the betrayal she must be feeling right now, if it was that. Having the moss ripped out from under her - it reminded her of Fernpaw when he had found out Kestrelstar's and RiverClan's true colors. It made bile rise in her throat and suddenly she wanted to rip apart what had caused it - who had caused it. How dare he present himself as one thing to his apprentice who clearly idolized him only to have given his soul to the darkness in order to do this??
More talk about what the punishment should be. One apprentice thought he should just go back to being a medicine cat apprentice and it took everything within Bravebird to not whack him over the head to make sure his ears were working. If these cats around her still trusted Cowtuft around their herbs after this, they were either stupid or not listening enough - or were too naive to be warriors.
What Bravebird was not expecting was Wolffang to be among one of those cats. Shock filled her gaze as she looked at the tom. Out of all of the cats in the entire forest, she would've placed him at the head of those who swore to protect WindClan, but he too was calling for a simple demotion?? Not only that, but he believed a temporary demotion was best?? Where had his loyalty to WindClan gone? Why did he want to keep a cat so negligent that he had allowed several Clanmates to die under his watch??? Suddenly she wasn't so sad anymore that they hadn't had a chance to speak, and the way her eyes narrowed showed that.
'It's the Clan or him...'
It was as if water had been poured on her, waking her from the frightful slumber she'd slept in and opening her eyes and ears to the real world. Sounds were more coherent, the rumblings of the group better heard. Bravebird blinked a few times to focus on Driftingsoul as she made her way back over, eyes wide as if the warrior had sprouted a second head. The Clan. That's what mattered most, out of everything. Above all else, WindClan came first - it always would, no matter what cat was on trial.
A little voice piping up to her over the rest of the rumble had Bravebird glancing down to see a little kitten. She didn't recall the kits name, but her expression softened just a bit. "Outside of camp isn't safe for kits," she reminded the youngster gently, though felt awkward trying to explain that when the inside of camp must not seem all that safe either. She wanted to explain it further, better, when a single name caught her attention.
Peachfrost.
Oh stars, Peachfrost.
Guilt twisted like a rusted knife in Bravebird's stomach as she heard Softsong speak her sister's name. She had believed her accusations to be nothing more than grief-induced fabrications, and yet Softsong was right; her sister had committed no crime. She had figured it out before every cat here. The truth had been revealed this entire time.
"For those of you who think demoting Cowtuft, temporary or otherwise, is a suitable punishment for killing several of our Clanmates, I ask you to get your damn ears checked." Her voice started low, but raised as the warrior stepped forward. She spoke for everyone gathered, but kept her gaze on the medicine cat. There was a conflict of hatred and regret lingering in her gaze, because she didn't want to believe he had done this - but that was a fairytale, a myth that had been disproved.
Looking to her leader now, the one who had said that his punishment severity would depend on them, Bravebird lashed her tail. "The facts are that it was Cowtuft's negligence that killed our Clanmates. WindClan warriors, apprentices, and kits alike - dead, buried in the ground because of him. I don't trust him around our herbs anymore, malicious intent or not, and I don't trust him being in WindClan." There's an edge to her words as she cast one final look towards the medicine cat. "I believe he should be exiled."
There was still the question about Peachfrost, however, but Softsong had already posed that question so Brave saw no reason to add onto it, for now at least.
Whisperingpaw dug his claws into the ground, trembling softly as he watched more of the arguing. Stempaw had calmed him down. 'I'll thank him for that later..' He thought, a small, grateful smile shown on his face for a moment before turning into grief and pain once more. Then Twilightstar spoke and explained the deaths. 'Poison..? They poisoned her?!' Whisperingpaw thought angrily, his fur bushing up again.
So many arguments... So much yelling.. He could understand what was happening anymore. Too loud, too loud, too loud! Whisperingpaw trembled again. He was too young for this.. Too young for this pain and loss. Why, why, why, why?! 'WHY DID STARCLAN GIVE ME THIS LIFE?' The shaken apprentice thought with a sob. He felt a tail wrap around him softly. "Leopardsong..?" He murmered hopefully, looking up to whoever it was. It was Snowybreeze. Berryfrost's...Father? He didn't know. "I'm sorry..." Whisperingpaw said to the warrior, leaning into their fur for comfort. "Why does everyone have to leave me? Why does everyone have to leave?" His voice cracked as his breathing started to get heavy and deep. 'Why am I always alone?'
[ @tallulah] (So you can see his post) [ @elaif ] (Stempaw) [ @Moonraven ] (For Twi) [@Alchemist Kitsune ] (Snowybreeze) [ @Rose ] (Berryfrost gWhisperingpaw
╭────- - ┈┈∘┈˃̶ϟ Stempawϟ˂̶┈∘┈┈ - -────╮
(6/100)
Yes! He managed to save the other apprentice from punishment! Ha ha! Score!
Leading them to a spot, he sat next next to Whisperingpaw; green eyes catching a peak at his expression. Well, at least he didn't seem mad anymore! That was a good thing... Or was it? The angry expression melted away into one of sadness. Brows furrowing in confusion he, lent an ear to what was being said. Yikes... This situation was getting a bit hard... How was he supposed to deal with this...
Blinking a sorrowful look towards Whisperingpaw, he gently nudged him on the shoulder with his head. " Ayyy, you're not alone amigo!" he said softly. " I'm right here, no?" oof... Maybe this wasn't and ideal situation for someone who was struggling... Yeah, probably not. Time to move again! "Here, I have an idea! How 'bout me and you go for a walk or something! It'll take your mind off everything thing! " Jumping to his paws, he rounded around the apprentice; eyes worriedly glancing around at the growing situation. He didn't really want to be here anymore... this was adult talk, this was to much stress for someone so young.
Resuming his former mission, he hoped Whispers would follow him out of the turmoil, that way they both can escape such harrowing problems. Looking back to Whisperingpaw, he urged him one last time. "C'mon, I promise it'll make you feel better!"
Re: WindClan Clearing
