Talon rests in the sun, not far from the overturned dumpster. His eyes wander over his companions that have joined him there, Gravel and Gash. Soot remains at Venom's side, his services having been requisited by the healer for the time being. Letting Venom do her work unbothered, the small party outside find themselves waiting, a feeling of mild unease residing among them as Wrath's warriors walking the alley keep an eye on them. Time passes but slowly, nothing to do but wait for their healer to return to them and finally give an update on how matters stand. The last somewhat interesting event to behold was when Arbrarc and Gravel unitedly escorted a visibly displeased and anxious Hush from the makeshift healer's den.

Though some had given them discontent looks, no-one had displayed much open hostility, less so still after Wrath finally found his way to the other wounded. Wrath accepts their presence for now, so the others would as well, right? Growing slowly more restless, staying there in one spot, to be ogled by everyone, Talon finally rises to his paws, shaking out his pelt briefly before taking another look around. Surely there must be slightly quieter spot nearby that he can stay at in relative comfort. After brief search, he spots a set of stairs on the side of one of the twoleg dens. That should do nicely. He turns his head towards Gravel and Gash.

„I'll head up to the roofs for now. At least one of you should stay, when Venom emerges with news send her to me"

Gravel slightly tilts her head a moment before looking over to Gash, then back to Talon

„I'll stay. I don't mind."

Gash scratches the side of his neck with his hind paw for a brief moment, before shaking his head

„I'll stay too, unless you'd want a guard with you, Talon. Never cared much for hights."

Talon gives a dismissing sway of his tail.

„All good. You know where to look for me then. Don't intend to venture far"

After a short stretch, Talon pads onward to the bottom steps of the stairs, slowly climbing the winding metal construction higher and higher. He can feel that a few eyes remain on him during his ascend, but soon they'll have nothing to look at anymore.

Moments later, he arrives at the very top of the building. A gust of wind blows, but the sun shines nicely down here, not to mention the view doesn't even compare. Stepping over to the edge in he direction of the sun and laying down there. The breeze's chill is not quite as bad, with the sun shining plainly down upon him. Slightly blinking against the light, Talon looks out from his vantage point. The twoleg dens stretching out before him in long rows, until they seems to merge together into a less coherent mass in the distance, the higher buildings towards the centre of twoleg-place looming over the smaller ones, only to be trumped themselves by a few colossal sky-pillars, seeming to scratch the very clouds. Glass shining in the sunlight, monsters and twolegs bustling about, the enormity of all these grounds that belong to Bloodclan… There is something uplifting in watching it all in a brief moment of calm. Talon takes a deep nasal breath, his fuzzy tail partially laying around him to shield him a bit from the winds.

The pleasant calm endures a little while longer, before one of Talon's ears flicks and swivels backwards. Steps. One cat, not really trying to hide their presence. Continuing to look out over twoleg-place, Talon tastes the air, to get a clue on whom it is, expecting Venom. A seemingly familiar scent hits him, causing a brief moment of confusion, followed by revelation. No, it couldn't be Silver… but one who for the most part shares his scent.

„Greeting, Argent. I'm not intruding on any personal spot of yours, am I?"

„No, not really. Beside my nest, I don't think any spot would count as `mine`."

The green eyed veteran warrior sits down beside Talon, looking off into the distance as well

„You got some spot of refuge all for yourself then? Heard you run off sometimes for most of the night"

Talon lets off a small chuckle

„The rumour mill is alive and well, I see. I suppose I do. Although it is more… contested these days. Regardless, what brings you here, Argent?"

Argent hums quietly, eyes slightly narrowed in thought for a moment

„I thought the questions would form themselves by the time I got up here… guess not then."

Talon looks over to Argent from the corner of his eye

„Well, it seems we got a moment of time. Won't leave until Venom gives me an update on how things are looking anyway."

Silence ensues for a while, before Argent sighs

„How's my littermate?"

„Silver is doing well. As well as can be expected, at least. He worries about you, with all that's been going on"

„Eugh…"

Argent shakes his head

„He should know better than to waste his worries on me. I'll be fine. But I should have figured as much I guess… Good to know he still thinks of me "

Talon returns his gaze to the city ahead

„I know you two sometimes talk still, Argent. No need to pretend."

A few heartbeats of silence, followed by a mildly dismayed scoff from Argent ensue

„Having Kestrel under your claw must have it's perks, it seems"

„Actually, Silver told me before the factions merged. I've been aware a small while now. Not that it surprised me much to begin with"

„Silver told you?"

Argent turns his head to observe the grey pelted leader

„Why would he do something that bold and stupid? Silver is not careless like that"

„Silver knows that he can trust me, Argent"

Talon turns his head to return the gaze in equal measure

„And I trust him when he says he'd not discuss matters that could put us at a disadvantage. As long as that remains true, all it is is two clanmates, littermates even, caring to talk from time to time."

Argent holds Talon's gaze for a moment before shaking his head and looking down at the thunderpath below

„Careless, from both of you. He could have told me anything by know as far as you know"

„Yet, I bet my tail that he didn't. Silver does not enjoy my trust without reason. You know your brother. He's nothing if not dependable"

„Yeah… that's Silver alright"

Argent sighs, eyes clouded by memories

„You knew Fang or Echo well?"

Talon slowly shakes his head

„Was on patrol with Echo a fair few times, fought together a few times, but wouldn't say that I knew him particularly well. As for Fang, she and Hush always appeared as a pair, and I wasn't one for butting in. I know she was fierce, saw her fighting the rogues that held Steel-snake place when we took it and a few times when she was sparring. Wouldn't have gone down without a serious fight."

„On that she delivered. At least four rogues died at her claws alone that battle, who knows how many still carry a reminder from her claws. However many survived Wrath's rampage anyway."

„Four fell to her alone? Just how many did they sick on you?"

Talon's expression contorts with seriousness. Just how many rogues did they send? How could they even amass so many, let alone keep them fed until battle?

„Many, Talon. For each of us, there were at least two of them, and we were no small patrol. I thought they were losing cats to surrounding rogue groups, seems those arrogant foxhearts Ice and Snake had the lot of us fooled. Either that or something happened, but it all amounts to the same anyway"

Talon nods. Troubling indeed. It seems the twins have more pull with the surrounding rogues than any of them had thought. The following lack of talk lets Talon focus his thoughts on it a bit more. Kestrel already overworks himself lately, asking him to keep even more of an extra eye out for this when it's not a problem bordering them yet would simply not be a reasonable thing to do. Wrath and Granite will need to find ways to reign in their neighboring faction of their own… If Wrath and his recuperate before the twins can replenish their forces, their canon-fodder more like, there's at least a decent chance that Wrath and his superior fighters will be able to subdue the faction. Although, that would put them at roughly the same numbers as Talon's faction… Scourge alone knows if that's an outcome worth hoping for. His thoughts are interrupted as Argent speaks up again at last

„You want to see them? You're the one who keeps blathering on about us still being one clan after all…"

Moving from his thoughts back to their current situation, Talon needs a brief second to register he likely means Echo and Fang.

„If you'd lead me to them. I just would not wish to interrupt anyone mourning"

With a huff, Argent rises to his paws

„I'd tell you to behave like a leader, but then you'd already have reacted differently to many things I said. Still can't figure out for the life of me how Silver and the rest of yours figure the clan would run under you, but I guess that's for another day. Most of us already spoke our goodbyes and Hush doesn't trust himself to stick around Fang's body without cracking."

Getting up and briefly stretching his hind legs, Talon turns to follow Argent

„I assure you, I'm letting much slip on virtue of this being Wrath's territory and not my own. But very well then, take point"

„If you say so…"

The two walk over to the stairs, as Venom hops up, halting their progress. Talon steps forth, tail flicking as he approaches the mildly huffing healer

„Venom, you've got an update on how the wounded fare?"

As Venom slowly, bit by bit regains her breath, she casts a look over at Argent, delaying her answer.

„He can hear this as well. Better yet, he can bring the news to Arbrarc then. With Wrath healing, his second-in-command will need to remain up to date"

Venom gives a small scoff

„Arbrarc remained nearby for most of my diagnoses and initial treatments, he's as well informed as he possibly could be. But fine."

Shaking her pelt out briefly, a few small bits of bedding and crusted blood flying out of it, she sits down

„Since I guess you want to know that first, Wrath will probably make it. Whoever tried sealing some his wounds was amateurish at best, but it did keep him from bleeding out so far. If he drinks enough to replenish the blood he's lost, that won't be the issue. Now the game is to see if that amateur work that kept him alive won't let some of the wounds get infected. With as many cuts as he has, it'd be too easy to overlook one or two when cleaning them. Someone needs to keep a close eye on him, check him all over for infections regularly."

Talon nods, hearing a relieved sigh from Argent

„Good. That's good. What of the others?"

„Mixed news. It may be possible to save them, but I'd be a fool to make a promise of that at this point. I found what made Wicker so miserable, a rogue's claw broke off right in it's wound, buried deep. The wound is badly infected, even with the claw removed. The question now is if his blood has been poisoned too much by it already and if we can battle the infection fast enough. I won't lie, his odds remain poor. The others should all live, given decent care. Though, some things won't be the same again for them either. Moss is not going to be sprinting much ever again. Her leg will be partially functional again, but never return to how it was. Same with Bolt's tail. Bit less of a handicap, but climbing and balancing will not be the same for him either. Reborn will be fine, his ear looks like a horde of rats claimed it, hearing a little worsened, but comparatively he'll be quite alright. Scream, that's more difficult to say. She'll survive, but I'm not sure if I can help recuperate her eye. Took a gnarly swipe to the face. I'll see what I can do, but I'm not in the business of false hope, so…"

Both Talon and Argent remain still, listening to Venom's words with great attention till the end of her report. Argent shakes his head slowly at the end

„Not good… but better than most of us feared still. I'm still astonished we got away with only two dead. So far, at least… Eugh, a mess, the lot of it!"

Turning his head away, Argent lets out a deeply frustrated hiss. Talon observes the veteran warrior calmly.

„Well, most are at least likely to survive now."

Venom rises back to her paws, immediately turning to leave

„Likely, yes. But I'll have to remain close by for at least a while. So unless there's anything new, I need to get back to them."

As Venom turns, a small streak of red glimmers under one of the brighter parts of her pelt, newly covered with cobwebs. A small trail of by now crusted blood has leaked downward from it. Talon tilts his head

„That a fresh wound, Venom? I did not notice any injuries on you when we departed… "

Argent returns his gaze to Venom, quickly finding the same spot as Talon. Venom shakes her head

„Hush was… less than receptive when I asked him to give me room around Scream. Didn't think he'd actually lash out, but Arbrarc and Gravel handled it while you were talking with Wrath."

Talon observes for a while without an answer. He'd feel more agitated if he wasn't well aware of how authoritarian Venom can be in the healer's den. And Hush'd distress is well comprehensible. His mate fallen, his daughter injured, the red eyed leader fails to imagine what mourn- and wrathful chaos must be inhabiting the poor tom's head currently. How would Talon act in his stead? The question burrows deep into his mind for a quick moment. If he'd open himself to the extend of having a mate, a kit, how would he react to them coming to harm. With a feeling of displeasure, Talon admits to himself that he'd likely take it not much better than Hush.

„I see. Return to the wounded then. They require your care. I'll come by later, have another word with Wrath if possible."

The she-cat nots and descends back down the stairs, soon to be followed by Argent and Talon. As the healer returns deeper into the alley, Talon follows the veteran warrior away from it. The trip turns out not to be very long at all, the next small alley being their destination already. Argent doesn't need to announce it, the scent of death hanging heavy in the air. With no herbs to mask it, it is unmistakable and impossible to miss, leading straight to the grim sight, hidden from immediate vision behind an old truck tire leaning against the brick wall. As they approach, Argent slows considerably, both to let Talon take point, but his own hesitation appears to shackle the warrior as well. Stepping behind the tire, there they are. Fang and Echo, side by side. Great wounds covering the both of them, the exposed flesh already slightly darkened, eyes glazed over and staring emptily at nothing. The blood seems to have been groomed out of their pelts, positioned back to back almost neatly, before the stiffness of death and frost could set in. Between their front paws, their respective collars, still flecked with the crimson spilled in their final battle. Difficult to say what specifically felled Echo, though there is no shortage of possibilities, deep gashes littering his lower back and belly. More obvious is Fang, who's neck had been opened deep from the side, the wound grimly displayed now before Talon. At the head of the two bodies, Sin sits quietly, slowly raising his head from mourning the fallen. He blinks in surprise as she recognises Talon, dipping his head in a silent greeting, an act Talon mirrors. The tortoise-shell male clears his throat, trying to be as quiet as he can doing so, wiping a quick paw over his face in a bid to hide the trail of fallen tears, mostly dried by now.

„I did not expect to see you here. I reckon you and yours arrived then. Come to say goodbye?"

Talon nods again, sitting down on his haunches

„So I have. Apologies if I disturbed you doing the same."

Sin gives a small scoff through a smile, that fails to hide the sadness behind it

„No, I've said my goodbyes often enough by now. I'm here to guard them till they are buried. Can't keep them in camp, but alone out here, they might tempt a rat or racoon… Not happening, not on my watch."

The last words escape Sin with more feeling than intended a his gaze moves over Echo's body, the false smile barely holding. Talon's tail winds around himself in familiar fashion. He knew that Sin and Echo had been close friends, that much was no secret. Why bother hiding obvious grief? By how thin a thread he's holding on to, it'd be pointlessly cruel to ask now. Turning his gaze to the dead again, Talon bows down, touching each of them in turn with his nose. Cold, ice cold by now. Would Scourge be able to find them, out in that horrid void? He has to, surely.

„When will they be buried? And their collars brought to the hall of remembrance?"

„Not sure yet. Soon, I'd hope, but with as many warriors as are incapacitated now, we already struggle to feed ourselves. Each passing day makes it worse. I don't think Wrath sees the dead as a priority right now…"

Talon can feel Argent move closer behind him, firing a glare at Sin for his revealing words. Sin's deep blue eyes rapidly harden into a fierce glare themselves

„If you got something to say, Argent, speak. Otherwise mind your business"

„Handing out information regarding our faction's wellbeing around others is my business, Sin, the business of everyone in this territory in fact. You need to mind what you… "

„Go eat dog-dung, you foxhearted fool! I'm saying nothing that's not beyond obvious and Talon's at least trying to help, unlike you. None of this should have happened and you're going to pretend I'm doing something wrong?"

Argent bristles up, tail lashing in anger, holding Sin's furious gaze for several heartbeats before scoffing and turning away, padding at a brisk pace to leave the small alley

„Do as you please then, sentimental fool. Wrath will sort you out. Even out here where you got nothing to do but stand guard you manage to fail your duty"

Sin's left eye twitches, as Argent turns his back, the consideration of jumping plainly onto it and shredding the veteran warrior plain in Sin's gaze for a moment. Rapidly unwinding his tail, Talon raises it as a barrier before Sin. Drawing in the fuming tom's stare, Talon slowly shakes his head. Not worth it. More injured warriors will not help them now. Grinding his teeth, Sin slowly settles back down, fur still spiked up in anger. Sin takes deep breaths, head turned away, glaring proverbial holes into the brick wall for a while before somewhat calming

„…he's not usually this much of a foxheart… he just can't want to admit that this all gets to him too. I get it, but I do sometimes want to pull the pelt off of him… if only it were only him… "

Talon tilts his head, his tail back around him, warming him in the freezing cold

„How do you mean, Sin?"

The tortoiseshell tom scoffs, his pelt slowly lying back down

„We're warriors here, Talon. Half of the charm of Wraths faction from the very start, warriors among warriors. Most here are fierce fighters, even by Bloodclan's standard. But that comes with a certain expectations of themselves. Strong warriors don't grieve long, don't show or speak of worry… They all grieve, they all worry, but they each fear seeming… lesser in the eyes of all the other strong warriors gathered here. We all try to find our own outlets for this mess. And so some keep falling deeper into complexes and moods with every passing day."

Sin shakes his head in dismay

„I was honest about it all, with myself and others. Two botched hunts later, the others all but write me off as too emotionally weakened to do my basic duties, so now I'm here. Guarding bodies… didn't even come from Wrath either. Arbrarc was trying to diffuse the explosive mood and it was simply easier to move one of me into a quiet corner till things cool off than it would have been to reprimand half the faction. The sooner Wrath is back on his paws, the sooner some semblance of order returns. I fear the faction would not survive his death. We'd scatter, just like the clan as a whole did…"

„Venom says his chances are decent. He'll recover."

„Good…"

Sin sighs exhaustedly, gaze returning to the two bodies, especially Echo.

„… he's fierce alright, but things run smoothly under him, can't fault him there. Things work, and he's always fair when settling disputes and the like, be it in his own ever so mildly threatening way. But it all depends on him, the faction is purely centred around his strength. I suppose that's the big downside. He falls, we all do here. But I'm rambling at this point. You say he'll live, then I trust your word, Talon. If you still wanna talk to him, better get there before Venom's stuffed him with sedatives to keep his grumbling down. Way I remember her, she'd be capable of it"

He manages an appreciative smile towards Talon, the latter chuckling at the remark, the air lightening a bit after the rather heavy mattered discussion

„She would. No doubt about it. No matter who leads the clan, Venom rules the healer's den with an iron claw. You'll be fine here, right?"

Sin hums quietly before answering

„Pretty sure you got more dire cases to ask that question right now. One thing the dead don't do is bite. I'll be fine. But, you know, thanks for listening anyway. Used to be Echo who got to hear all the nonsense weighing on me. It's… almost soothing to just rant once in a while"

Talon nods, slowly rising to his paws

„May they rest well."

Talon is just about to turn as he notices a peculiar look in Sin's eyes as they behold him. A question burns on the tip of the tom's tongue, but he hesitates

„Talon… you know, rumours say… "

„What is it, Sin?"

Looking back down at his slain friend, Sin seems deeply conflicted, before at last shaking his head in defeat

„Never mind. Nothing. But may Scourge guide your claws, Talon."

Talon can roughly guess the question, but perhaps it's too early. He can't yet know if Scourge has or will find Echo. Sin's grief is still strong, giving him false hope could be a cruel thing to do. Not yet. Not until he knows for sure.

„Scourge guide your claws, Sin. Stay safe."

Talon pads out of the alley, leaving the tortoiseshell to continue his guard in peace. A mild feeling of guilt burns in his gut at not answering Sin's unspoken question. He will, in time, if Echo and Fang are both found. Turning around the corner from the alley to the street, Talon finds Argent, sitting with his back against the wall of the twoleg-den, taking slow, deep breaths. Talon had figured Argent would have gone back to Wrath's alley. Did he hear the rest of the conversation? His pelt lays flat again, green eyes staring off down the adjacent street. He seems to have calmed down by the seems of things at least.

„Ready to head back, Talon? He's not entirely wrong with Venom, I suspect."

Talon huffs out a nasal exhale. Guess that answers that.

„Lead the way"

Argent slowly nods, turning to do just that. As he moves away from the wall, scratches in the stone are revealed, as well a small red smear following the same direction as the swipe marks. Making no comment, Talon follows Argent, keeping a close eye on him. He limps slightly on his front left paw. As if feeling Talon's observation, Argent grumbles silently

„Cracked a pad. Cold out here, happens"

He sounds calmer indeed. Almost somewhat rueful in his tone. Talon, flicks a snowflake off his ear, alerting him to the incoming snow

„I see."