Half of a Truth is Love

Quietbeeeze waddled stiffly behind a Bush. It was just past Dawn, and after sorting a.l dawn patrol she tried to hide. She knew she was expecting kits, and luckily no one had noticed yet. Sooner or later they would, but what would they do to her precious kittens? They'd want to know who the father was...But she couldn't get Rabbitfoot in trouble. What to do?

Mintleaf yawned, padding out of the Warriors' den. She missed the Dawn patrol, but it was okay since she had guarded camp last night. She needed sleep. However, her memories of the Windclan deputy that one night with Rabbitfoot hugged her. Why was she around him so much? Was she sick? Maybe she was hiding something.

Speak of the devil. Mintleaf didn't hesitate to investigate the scent of milk coming from a nearby bush. "Caught y-" She cut off, mouth open wih shock.

Quietbreeze gasped, leaping backwards as a Thunderclan warrior interrupted her worried thoughts. She stared at Mintleaf, wide eyed and scared suddenly. "I...I..." She stammered.

Mintleaf suddenly felt excited. That's the secret she was keeping! "Congratulations!" She purred happily to the deputy. However, her smile faded as she inspected Quietbreeze more closely. Why wasbshe so nervous and spooked looking? In fact, why was this a secret at all.

Quietbreeze backed away slowly, noticing Mintleaf's sudden suspicion. "I-i'm sorry..." She murmured nervously. She tried to turn tail and run suddenly, but he Thunderclan warrior grabbed her tail, yanking her back.

"What do you mean? You don't have some sort of place to go do you?" She hissed, suddenly figuring it out: The deputy didn't have a Windclan mate, and no one in Thunderclan was seemingly close to her, so adding that to this little act she was putting up, it was obvious the deputy had done something hey wrong.

With a sigh, Quietnreeze knew there was nothing she could do. However she refused to bring Rabbitfoot down wit her. She loved him too much. "Okay...These kits are not of any clan..." she whispered.

"What?!"
"I have a mate outside the clan, okay?" Quietbreeze wailed, loud enough for others to hear.

Mintleaf snarled. "TRAITOR!" She hissed, rushing to the nursery...Where Brightstar rested.

"Brightstar!" Mintleaf breathed urgently, poking her head inside.
"It's Quietbreeze...She is expecting kits of a tom outside the clans!"

Rabbitfoot lifted his head, the wad of marigold in his maw falling to the ground with a leafy thud.
Oh, no...
Rabbitfoot bolted out of the den, making a sharp turn towards the nursery. He let out a growl as he dropped to the ground, StarClan pulling him into a dream. He watched himself lay, heavily breathing on the ground as he rose in a pale, starry form into the sky. He turned his head to look at Scarlet, the cat he appreciated, but hated at that moment. He narrowed his temporarily sightless eyes and opened his mouth, a stinging sentence and a hiss boiling in his throat. Before he could utter a syllable, Scarlet flicked her tail for silence.
"Stop, young traitor."
She meowed simply, saying with such a nonchalant tone, Rabbitfoot shifted with discomfort.
"You've chosen your path, and now you must walk it. You cannot turn back now. Do not add to the lie, and do not reveal the truth. It will make your life harder than any cat's life has ever been." She twitched her tail and lead him far away from the spot, and they looked down upon SkyClan camp. A pale ginger tabby with a white chest and underbelly was heaving and holding back waves of tears in a hidden corner of camp.
"Squirrelstar suffers disease and heartache, and she weeps in the moonlight, but she stays strong for those she loves, and protects them, even if it means ruining them at the same time. Do you understand?"
Rabbitfoot's eyes blurred with sympathy- and empathy- for the old she-cat holding back tears below.
"I am sorry, and I fear not. How may you protect and ruin at the same time?
Scarlet just laughed.
"Defend her when she is threatened. Defend her against accusation and crime. Defend her from storm after storm, and defend her from tragedy."
The old she-cat paused.
"But, do not defend her in turn after she's defended you. Protect her from the oncoming wrath and fury of Brightstar, but no more. Now be gone."
Rabbitfoot nodded before he faded and was thrown into his own body. He stood, able to see for the time being. He turned, still with his acquired heightened sense of smell, and dashed towards the bush Quietbreeze hid in. As he ran across the dusty ground, ink slowly blotched his vision before it turned ebony and he was shrouded in endless night.

Quietbreeze was shivering in place, horror lit like fire in her eyes. "She...She figured out." She murmured in a frightened tone. "What do I do?"

Ooc: let's wait for little .3.

"What?!"
Brightstar's voice echoed throughout the whole camp as she ran out, her belly swollen with kits, as if she were to have them any day now. "You... Quietbreeze, is this true?" Brightstar took a painful step forward, staring straight into Quietbreeze's eyes. Her eyes were filled with emotion as her gaze beckoned for the cat to answer.
"I... No... No, this couldn't be true..."
She stepped back again, nodding her head. "No... you're one of the most loyal cats I have..."
She kept on denying it over and over in her head, fear lighting her heart fiercly, because, no matter how much she denied it, she knew it'd probably be true. But... with who?
Rabbitfoot...?

Quietbreeze looked away. "I-I...I'm sorry...I met him by the river once..." she gulped, hating to lie. In fact, she hated betraying her clanmates...But she had to protect Rabbitfoot. She loved him...

"I'm sorry Brightstar...I'm a disgrace to Windclan..." she murmured, shutting her eyes. A small tear fell across her cheek.

Mintleaf sighed, looking at Brightstar. "I'm sorry this had to happen...But I just figured out myself. You won't allow a traitor to live with us, will you?" She whispered. "Our leader might not fancy cats no one can trust.?

Rabbitfoot stood.
"And you might not fancy losing the fastest cat in WindClan, and a highly clever one at that." his tail flicked with agitation. He could almost see Scarlet's pained face, and he knew he made the wrong choice.
But he hadn't given anything away.
"I dare you to exile her."
He hissed, a smart-as$ tone in his voice.

Bluejay's tail flicked as he listened in. He padded over and sat.
"Shut up."
He hissed, no respect left for medicine cats due to their connection with StarClan.
"I convey she be exiled for lying and betraying her Clan, though the decision is ultimately Brightstar and Ivystar's. Even as deputy, she shall have no say in thy matter."

oc: Ello....This is Froggly.

I'd like to finish this topic please.

Thank you.

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ooc: Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetforgotaboutthis D|

IC: Brightstar took a step back as they looked at her, giving her the stressful choice while she heavily carried kits on her shoulders.
"I... I..."

Mintleaf glared at Rabbitfoot. "Good warrior or not, if she's a traitor she can't be trusted." She snapped.

Quietbreeze was beginning to shiver with fear and backed away a few pawsteps, stopping when Mintleaf whipped her gaze around to watch her, as if her eyes were chains holding her in place until the leader's say-so.

Rabbitfoot side stepped in front of Quietbreeze, as if cracking the chains with an iron hammer.
"She can be trusted." Rabbitfoot hissed, narrowing his eyes. His tail lashed, and he noticed that something surged through his blood; something that forced him to unsheathe his claws and bare his teeth.. adrenaline.. He wanted a battle.

Mintleaf stepped forward, a gleam in her eyes that tempted his challenge like, "Bring it on."

"Funny how you're being so protective over her." Mintleaf snickered. "But I'm not the one to accuse a medicine cat of anything. Especially not now."

Quietbreeze looked away. "Rabbitfoot....It's okay. I-I'll be fine...If they banish me." she murmured.

Brightstar shook her head and looked at Quietbreeze, pain shooting deeply through her dark eyes, filling with emotion. She started to walk away.
"I... need to think."
She closed her eyes, trying to get away before she started to cry.

Rabbitfoot bared his teeth in a snarl. He almost leaped at Mintleaf, but stopped himself.
Everyone will regret this day.

Ivystar was totally there the whole time and looked at Bluejay "It is Brightstar's choice, she is her deputy not mine. On the other hand, I need to see you in my den,Bluejay" she said numbly. She then groggily padded back to her den.

Occ: ono...

Mintleaf growled quietly, stalking away.

Quietbreeze looked down and shook her head. She began to pad towards the nursery, wanting to get away from everyone fr a moment. Afterwards, she knew what to do.

Bluejay's eyes flashed and he turned, whipping Rabbitfoot painfully with his tail as he passed, then followed Ivystar to her den.

Rabbitfoot winced as Bluejay's sharp tail crossed his cheek, leaving a painful, burning feeling where it struck.