[GoldenRavenWings]

Originally Posted by FrostyGalaxy

This information concerned Lark terribly. Grief was... difficult at the best of times, and this reaction to Willowpaw's death was oddly reminiscent of Weaseltooth's situation - so much so that Lark briefly wondered if she'd handled that the wrong way. That is, until she remembered the circumstances surrounding it. Weaseltooth had acted out a week or two after the fact, Goldenberry had only just found out.

"Yes... maybe some time on apprentice duties will be good for her. Just for a little while," the leader agrees easily enough. "Can you send her in to see me? I'd rather not make this a public affair, I don't want to embarrass her."

Why is he telling her this? Last time Lark checked, it is not her job to heal the internal conflicts of the members of her clan. Not that she doesn't appreciate the heads up, of course, it's good to know who she should handle with care and all that, but Lark barely has any life experience, what makes this cat think she'd be able to help?

"I'll keep that in mind, thank you," she says, voice unintentionally clipped around the edges.

"Yes, if there were that many there you were lucky to escape with your life, let alone unscathed," Lark raises a brow in curiosity, the odds of that skirmish hardly seemed to be fair, and for Shellwhisker to escape without a scratch? That was exceptionally lucky. Almost too lucky as far as Lark was concerned, but she wouldn't press that any further. She knew the cat in front of her was... somewhat quick to defensiveness and she really didn't want to be shouted at. "I don't think anyone should be going out into the territory alone for now, especially with the loners all over the place. I'll let the clan know about this at the next meeting, thank you for telling me."

The offer of prey was slightly unexpected... true, Lark hadn't eaten yet, but she'd prefer the rest of the clan ate before she did. "Thank you, have you eaten at all yet, Honeyfall?"

[cw: mild gore ish ??? not super descriptive idt ]

Guilt prickles on her skin for feeling like she needs to rely on this apprentice for support. It's shameful, she's a clan leader, she doesn't need the support of some cat ranked so far below her to feel like she's worth anything. 'But you want that, don't you?' her mind asks treacherously, and she wants to recoil away from the very thought. She shouldn't need this support, she should feel secure enough on her own, but she just... she just doesn't. Yes, she does want the support of anyone she can get, she does want to feel wanted, valued and needed, but the sharp, poison-laced claws of shame dig into her back and drag themselves through her flesh at even just the admission of such a thing in her head.

No, she should not accept such support, certain cats in this clan would call her weak and unworthy for even needing such help. She will not give him more ammunition for which to tear into her. So her purr is clipped, and her smile is forced when she glances over to Adderpaw again. She is grateful, deep down, but she shouldn't let herself show how much she's truly touched. She shouldn't she can't.

"Um, thank you," her words are curt, polite and professional. She does not acknowledge any more than that. "Is that all?"

"ShadowClan?!" Lark nearly jumps up she's so outraged and startled. "Why on earth did ShadowClan kill Willowwisp?" She can't help but ask, disbelief apparent on her face. She did not believe the older molly would have crossed ShadowClan's border - she had more sense than that. So the only explanation here was that some cat in ShadowClan had deliberately crossed the border and killed her. She'd have to confront Dawnstar about this at the gathering. There was no way she was letting this murder slide.

"Was there any of her killer's fur between her claws? Anything at all?" She just needed something, anything she could tell Dawnstar for a narrower search range... assuming the rat leader would actually look into this.

// I’m sorry. Rushwater dragged her out of camp and I’m unsure where they are. Dandeliontuft lowered her head apologetically. With that, she stumbled back out of the den, heading out of camp to hopefully be alone.//