**Petalflight**
The breath Petalflight sucked in felt as though it could be her last, if not the last in her life it would surely be the last in
this life, but it settled the resolve in her. Despite the unfortunate start to Bumblestar's leadership, this particular aspect of it putting Petalflight at the heart of the new leader's admittedly deserved harshness, Petalflight found that she was liking the new leader. Thrushstar had never made much of an impression on her, despite Blackfir's unceasing praise, but Bumblestar was beginning to make her see why some leaders are given the inherent respect. She wished things had been different because maybe she would've learned to find loyalty in Bumblestar's active and tough leadership of this clan so beloved by Blackfir.
As the leader's anger seemed to mount, Petalflight looked to the ground and dipped her head slightly, attempting to defuse the heated encounter. She wished no conflict with Bumbelstar or the clans and, frankly, she was exhausted, mentally, emotionally, physically. But she knew the position she found herself in. She had been the cause of the death of one of Thunderclan's loyal warriors, a place she could never have replaced even if she'd had a desire to. When Bumblestar offered her one more chance, another chance to out the Windclanner and, what? Escape personal punishment? At least escape exile or death, she figured. Petalflight found herself silently thanking the leader but knew she did not deserve the second chance, nor would she take it. The second option also felt like a mercy, to walk out of Thunderclan territory, to go back to her life before...to pretend like none of this ever happened. Delphic was surely still out there somewhere, she wasn't a cat that was easy to kill, even
able to be killed as far as Petalflight knew, and she'd hold a deadly vengeance against her. And these moons in Thunderclan would haunt her, nothing would ever be the same again. She'd be striking out on her own, with nowhere to go, no protection, not even Blackfir to visit, nor could she see herself returning to Pignut, not after all of this. But she was still being given a chance. When she looked back up, her green eyes a flat mask, she simply shook her head.
"Would you like me to travel with an escort until the edge of the territory?"