Maybe splashing water worked on her as intended, or maybe not. Hawkstar watched her but couldn't read her expression well enough to know. He did hope it left an impression - such conflict was rarely fueled by the work of a single unit. A combination of mistakes, deliberate acts, time and a lack of accountability kindled the flames long before her own transgressions. She played a part, may have tipped the wave over the edge, but it'd been building in advance.
Hawkstar wasn't here to chastise her. Not only had she heard it plenty times before, but he recognized faults and the desire to change and grow from them. Her past did not need to be her future.. and if he could sway it into something brighter, that meant more than hollow, echoed words. His gaze scanned the scar along her shoulder and leg, muzzle twitching.
"If it benefited her, she may have. The wounds our Clan have left her run deep. But Twilightstar holds an air of sense about her.. and revenge leaves no one victorious."
A sigh.
"There are few in this world whom have such capabilities.. and some mask it better than others. In my case, I was merely a fool." If he had acted, if he hadn't been so passive... but all it was now was ifs.
"Any authority you hold within a Clan should not be easy. Every choice you make, every word you say, has an impact on those under your care. You should always act with their best interest at heart, and do your best to consider your choices before implementing them. Your decision.. can make or break your Clan." Even the best choice at the time may not be the right one, but the point of his words was to think before she acted. Put some consideration into it, and understand that this was larger than what she might initially see.
"There's always going to be controversies.. think of your previous leaderships. How many times did you agree with what they were doing? How many times were they questioned, rebelled against? How you handle these disagreements is more telling than the fact they are occurring. You can argue back, you can banish them. You can hear them out and acknowledge their concerns.. or you can ignore it and allow it to fester like a wound within the Clan." A reflection, as he thought of his own era.
"I sought to be pacifistic. In a world where our Clan had been in an unending war, of course cats disagreed with me. Had I not been so stubborn in wanting to resolve an age-old feud peacefully, maybe I would have seen they were right. I don't like violence, Dusklion.. but sometimes, it becomes a necessary evil to defend your home." Like those kits, even if the act seemed morally reprehensible.
"But because they may have been right for me, that does not mean the same for you. Consider their perspective, and grow from there."
[ @
taillow ]