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Lynxpaw
The warrior knew the signs of fear. He had been all too familiar with them in the past, and what he had mentioned about the Dark Forest came from personal experience. Talonstone was also aware that it was difficult to believe, the religion of the clans. If he had not seen it for himself, he might not have believed it to be true, either. The blankness that covered Russetpaw was a mask, just as it tended to be. They were strangely similar, and the tomcat was grateful that he was able to help. He understood how apprentices thought and felt. If only he had opened up so easily in the past, all his troubles might have been solved much more quickly.
"That is a difficult question," Talonstone admitted,
"and the answer may vary. Clans as a whole are tight-knit groups. Members are loyal; they help and serve each other. Inside a clan, however, there will always be politics involved. Some cats are against Dawnstripe, the current leader of ShadowClan, because she is the former leader's daughter. Dawnstripe is ambitious and does not value the weak - some felines do not respect that. They might plot against Dawnstripe, but not against the clan itself. It is not the leader that makes up the clan, but the individual cats inside of it. Individual cats can become corrupt. I cannot make decisions for you; follow your instincts and continue to suspect others. It is a useful trait."
He paused there, partially to catch his breath and partially to allow the words to sink in. The warrior had been as honest as possible; frankly, ShadowClan was not the most stable clan at the moment. Once he was ready, he continued wryly:
"I would prefer to think that I am trustworthy; however, that ultimately is your decision to make. I have an acquaintance... Lionpaw. He is also a former loner and now resides in ThunderClan. Should you doubt my words, I am confident that he would vouch for me."
He sensed that the questioning wouldn't be over just yet, so he shifted his weight to make it more comfortable for himself. The large tom didn't sit down - he preferred to stand, even if it was more tiring.