[MintyBea]

Originally Posted by FrostyGalaxy

Minkpaw's death a murder... that certainly felt more likely than the young apprentice drowning on her own right. While she'd been a little bereft of information regarding this situation beforehand, at least she was getting filled in now. And Rushwater had taken it upon himself to begin the ground work of investigation, stating clearly his reasons for keeping this silent for now. Lark had to admit that was a smart call - she'd likely have told the whole clan about the suspicions of murder if he hadn't presented this reason to keep it quiet, too worried about not lying to those she was meant to lead to focus on if being honest all the time was always the smart move.

"Thank you for telling me this," she says, a troubled look in her eyes. If this was going to be a recurring problem, cats getting murdered by someone so skilled not even a scrap of fur or a whiff of scent was found, that would certainly pose a large problem. "Yes, I agree, keep investigating. Let me know any big breakthroughs you come too - especially if you suspect the culprit to be among our own ranks." Stars... would someone in RiverClan do this? Larkwing didn't want to think of such a scenario - she'd already had to take care of an attempt on her own life, and that hadn't been skillful or quiet at all. "And, uhm, the other thing you wanted to talk about it?"

"Uh, sorry," Larkstar begins, feeling suddenly a little self conscious of her young age. "I was born after Sootstar's time as leader, so I'm afraid I don't remember - sorry again." Why was she apologizing for not being born yet? That's a little stupid now that she's thinking about it - she can't help when she was born.

She takes the shells from the kits and places them near her nest carefully, making sure they don't crack or break, before smiling gratefully back at the three kits. "They're lovely - and I'll do my best." She adds at Soulkit's comment. She doesn't feel like she's able to make history, doesn't feel like she has what it takes, but maybe some cats think she does, and that's what matters, isn't it?

"Adderpaw?" Larkstar asks, noticing the kit she had just apprenticed finding her way into her den, "what do you want to tell me?"

"Ah, ok, so it's not a new thing - nevermind what 'seeing' means for now, Applebees? Can you escort him back to the nursery?"
[ @Leafy ]

"Yes, I hope so," the molly says wearily, weight heavy on her shoulders. This is so much harder than she anticipated it was going to be - this whole leading thing. Not that she thought it would be easy she just... well, she hadn't really thought about it much. She thought she had time. But she was wrong.

__________

Birdsnow pads into the den, frustrated, fur ruffled, and Lark briefly thinks she might be in trouble - that is until the molly opens her maw to speak. Sootpelt? Had tried to murder Bird? What was up with RiverClan and attempted assassinations lately? She sort of guessed some cats might not exactly be thrilled with her choice in deputy, but she hadn't expected attempted murder - or that Sootpelt was expecting kits. Lark had thought Soot to be rather level headed, but apparently not. Regardless, this information was troubling to say the least. "No... no you did fine... I just worry - what if she comes back seeking revenge? But- no you couldn't have killed her, her kits would've been lost too..." troubled, Larkstar trails off.

[ lark and bird form a book club where they don't read anything it's just an excuse to talk gossip lmao ]

She was licking her wounds when Fishpaw entered unannounced - not that that was any issue really, she didn't exactly mind anyone coming into her den unannounced (or, if she did, she wasn't about to make that known). What she did find rather uncomfortable, however, was the way the apprentice just... stared at her. He didn't say a single thing for several heartbeats. Was this his goal? To unnerve the leader who was not that much older than even he was? Because if that's what he wanted to accomplish, he was certainly doing a great job of it.

And, when he did finally open his mouth, the first thing he said was not kind, the words were prickly and wrapped around the tortoiseshell like a thorn bush. "I'm going to be quite frank with you, I think you're stupid." he'd said. And he was certainly truthful in that the words were frank and even more sincere in his belief of what he'd said, not one thing about the apprentice's body language indicated he might be lying. And then he kept speaking and... ah, so his goal here was to criticize her choice in deputy.

Blue-grey fur starts to bristle at the comments. Here he was, criticizing the one cat in the clan Larkstar was absolutely certain she could trust. If she were a better person, Lark may have been able to see reason behind his words, may have been able to approach this conversation at a better angle, but alarms were ringing in her head. Did he want her dead, too? Was he here to kill her? Had he been working with Spiderleap? Is she safe in her own den? There's only one exit, and the apprentice is blocking it. Could she get past him? Would she have to kill this one, too? Further stain her paws red? She didn't want to, but what choice would she have?

"And what do you propose I do instead?" She asks, a snarl in her voice that she did not give permission to be there, "choose between a number of cats who may or may not want me dead? At least I know Birdsnow won't deign to kill me in my sleep. At least I know that much." She shouldn't let her insecurities show, she really shouldn't, but right now she feels as if she is backed into a corner, a scared little kid who has no idea what she's doing.

"A fox?" Larkstar says almost breathlessly. She'd never personally seen one before. "Yes- uh- thank you for telling me, take a patrol with you to retrieve the body." There's more she wants to say, she wants to organize a patrol to take care of that fox for good, but she can't bring herself to say the words, too stunned by Sycamore's report.

Roseheart's ears flattened against her head. "Oh stars," she thought out loud, "I really have been gone for a long time..." She sighed. "Well, it's okay. Regardless, I hope I can serve you well to make up for my disappearance, Larkstar." She lowered herself and licked Larkstar's shoulder respectfully.