[lone]

Originally Posted by InfernoFlicker

Russel and Jitterbug sat closely together facing Obsidiansky as he explained everything that Infernosky had missed. They didn't quite understand EVERYTHING he said...like what the suffix 'star' and 'night' meant for Singenight, and what, or who, Starclan was. Overall, Russel understood the more important parts, while Jitterbug just nodded every few phrases and pretended to have a clue that she didn't have.

Meanwhile, Infernosky's eyes bore into Obsidiansky as he told his story, unconcerned as to whether or not that would make anybody uncomfortable. She wasn't too keen on making others feel comfortable in her presence. She proceeded to sink her claws into the dry, well-trodden camp soil beneath her. A fire was a tragedy, that she could understand and sympathize with. What made her angry was this Singenight, and his evil company that took over the clans for a time. She was painfully reminded of another wretched cat that had wreaked the same kind of havoc on the clans: Eternalstar. The experience of watching Dapplestar go through all kinds of torture, being forced to abandon her for the sake of the rest of the clan, and having to take on the responsibility of leadership over a greatly distressed Windclan had shaken her deeply inside. As often as she doesn't pray to Starclan, this was one of the one times she had sent a heartfelt plead to their starry ancestors that they would never allow such a cat to cause that kind of wreckage again. In Infernosky's eyes, it was apparent that Starclan had no desire to protect the clans they had once been a part of, and it made the former deputy's neck fur bristle.

And the worst part, Windclan had to go through the same turmoil, all over again, and she hadn't been there to help. If Infernosky had been there, she would have done everything in her power to get rid of the terrible rulers. As much as she internally stressed over these facts, she failed to recognize that these things were not under her control; she couldn't control the time and place in which things happen. And that frustrated her. Silly, yes, but not unusual.

For the short moment that Obsidiansky had mentioned Dapplestars temporary return, Infernosky looked slightly hopeful, but it was crushed a moment later when he said the words, "She's not coming back." How could she just...leave? It wasn't like Dapplestar to just abandon her clan. And what about Twilightsky and Swallowsong? How could they have just vanished? As much as the red tabby tried to fight it, she felt a cold sense of loneliness creep into her chest.

When Obsidiansky finished, Jitterbug was nodding with an unmistakably blank smile on her face when the tom asked if his message was clear. Russel nodded with a bit more confidence in his knowledge, and Infernosky remained still, eyes on her paws in thought.

"It's...it's like the days of Eternalstar all over again..." She murmured, then looked up at Obsidiansky.
"Do you know if...if there were any cats deaths in the fire?"
Maybe that would explain Twilightsky and Swallowsong.
Or maybe she should just let it go. She can't control what has happened, and if her friends had died in the fire, or had mysteriously left or disappeared like Dapplestar...the past is the past, and she couldn't change it.

"You know...forget it." She shook her head slightly, then lifted her green gaze to meet Obsidiansky's again, "Look, we've traveled a very long way to get here, and even though these two," she gestured to Russel and Jitter, "have never been in a clan before, they have a lot of potential and I wouldn't have been able to make it back here without them. And me...I don't know if you've ever heard of me but I used to serve as deputy under Dapplestar for a long time. So, you have to let us in---Blazingstar has to let us in, or you'll be making a huge mistake, I can assure you." The last few words were not ones of hostility this time, but sincerity.

The black tom watched the cats' expressions as he spoke, and then stopped, looking down at the ground. He didn't quite know what to say. He felt bad, of course, that they had come here-- probably to see Dapplestar-- only to learn that she was gone, but at the same time he would think that they could come in, right? Surely Blazingstar wouldn't mind-- they must have known the leader. But Shrikecall had been clear in his instructions. Keep an eye on these cats. Don't let them out of your sight. You'll all be in trouble. But Shrikecall doesn't make the rules. Blazingstar's the one who should be able to say that. Except...we have to respect Shrikecall. The tom thought uneasily, shifting his weight.

He cocked his head to the side at the name Eternalstar. He'd heard stories, but...was that a real cat? He felt like that name was so familiar, and yet it was escaping his mind, keeping him from being able to think clearly. Oh, why did things have to be so confusing? Especially right now. But that name was going to plague his mind until he could find out more about it. He was going to ask when the she cat fired a question at him, catching him slightly off guard before he could re-gather his thoughts.

"There were...a few deaths in the fire. Some died afterwards, just from their injuries." He mewed, looking at the she cat with an expression of sorrow and disappointment. He was contracting some of Shrikecall's suspicion; it was a little strange that these cats showed up right after all of this was over, right after Dapplestar's disappearance. But why? Why had they done it? The important thing was not that they were here now, it was why they were here. He knew better then to allow these strangers into the Clan on their own, just in case. But he wanted to let them in! He knew that they couldn't mean any harm. At least, he wanted to believe that, so badly...but he didn't know whether he could.

What if he were wrong? Things could go badly wrong, and he could get them-- not to mention himself-- in a lot of trouble. Obsidiansky listened to her speak and sighed, lowering his head and closing his hues to think. He shut everything else out, trying to focus on his own thoughts, which wasn't easy to do...but he managed to do so in a semi-timely manner. "Alright, look. Blazingstar's out right now, and I'm not sure when he'll be back. If it were up to me, you would be perfectly fine to roam around on your own and do whatever you wanted. I believe what you're telling me. But it's not up to me, and Shrikecall was very clear in his orders. So until Blazingstar returns, I have to stay with you wherever you go. I assume Shrikecall would want to speak to him about you three, so once he does I'm sure he'll believe you." Obsidiansky mewed, trying to sound as confident as he could. He didn't want to give these cats false hope, but Blazingstar had always seemed like an understanding leader; surely he would let these cats in. Right? Once he heard their story, at least.

"I'm truly sorry," He added in a lower voice with an apologetic glance at all three of them. He couldn't imagine coming from wherever they had come from and then suddenly having to leave. That would be...horrible. Something that he hoped would never happen to him, and as long as he stayed in the safety of WindClan, it wouldn't. "If you don't mind my asking, why did you come back now? And how did you get separated from WindClan...or why did you leave?" He asked, the tip of his tail twitching back and forth. He wasn't quite sure how much of an age difference was between him and the seeming "leader" of the group, but he didn't recognize her or her name, and he thought he must if she had been Deputy. So what had happened?