Ashfur looks into the flowing water, thoughts rushing through his mind as he processes what he's been told. Raising his gaze over to the Bloodclan cat, no, the Bloodclan leader beside him, he finds Talon keeping his eyes on the river. Though the dark grey tom remains calmly sitting, a quiet pressure visible upon his face, his left ear remaining attentively turned towards Ashfur. Several things make much more sense now. Talon's prior refusal to speak of his faction's leadership, being able to send Silver in his stead… Ashfur isn't too surprised even. Still, the idea that the cat that saved his life, trains and speaks to him, could be a leader of Bloodclan, was too outlandish to even enter Ashfur's mind.

„Why?"

Talon slightly turns his head, his eyes meeting Ashfur's

„Why what?"

A subtle worry remains audible upon the red eyed tom's voice, a cautious uncertainty as he still gauges Ashfur's response to his revelation

„Why tell me now?"

Talon lowers his gaze to his paws, un- and resheathing his claws a few times into the cold clay. His nicked ear flicks and consideration enters his eyes

„We agreed we could trust each other. Being leader of Bloodclan, be it of the clan entire or just a faction, comes with expectations… and risks. I need to be cautious whom I talk to and about what. Last time I confided something in Silver in private, it turned out we were eavesdropped upon. Here we're away from anyone listening and I get to hear a fresh opinion. You have no stake in matters of Bloodclan. Just as I have no stakes in matters of Thunderclan. In a way, we are free here."

Ashfur's observes Talon for a bit longer before turning his head away.

„I suppose… although my clan would disagree with just about all of this."

„My faction will not attack Thunderclan again. In fact, that is part of the reason why I chose to reveal my position to you. Other things can be done, other targets"

Ashfur turns to face Talon, his head slightly tilted in uncertainty

„Other targets? What do you mean?"

Talon holds Ashfur's gaze for a little while before he pulls away, looking up at the stars. Uncertainty makes way for the mixed feelings of a memory upon the dark grey leader's face

„There was a battle, another faction was bloodied, some of our clanmates died, several remained badly injured. We, or rather, I chose to help. Now we need to resupply ourselves again, earlier than I would have liked. So, the question I hoped to ask tonight was: is any clan bordering yours being a nuisance?"

As Talon slowly returns his gaze upon Ashfur, it does so with the feeling of a mounting weight upon the Thunderclan warrior, his head lowering below his shoulders as understanding of what he's being asked begins to sink in

„…you would attack a clan on my word alone?"

„Well… not truly attack."

Talon's tail winds around his paws

„My goals and methods remain the same. I will try my best to assure no cat dies. We just need the herbs. As for you and Thunderclan, a raid may well humble your enemies a bit, make them send cats they'd otherwise harass your clan with to guard their border. All I need is to know the who and where."

Stunned, Ashfur remains speechless for a while, slowly pulling his gaze away from Talon and back to the water. The stars reflect upon it's surface, a little distorted but shining with the same distance and carelessness as ever. It might serve Windclan well to be reminded that they too have borders that can be intruded upon. The idea of Onestar seething at his inability to defend his territory is humorous… and Thunderclan could well do with a reprieve from Windclan's constant border quarrels. At the same time, the very proposition brings back haunting flashes of a memory. The battle for the old forrest, Bloodclan's warriors fighting, killing, pushing back the clans. More unexpectedly, there is a rapidly rising conflict within him between guilt and old resentment. Lowering his gaze, Ashfur observes his own right front paw as he raises it. For the briefest moment, it seems smaller. There is no river before him, but a hulking body of white and black fur, bleeding, slowly growing cold as the sun shines down upon them. He doesn't see it, but he knows another body is near, no less bloodied, no less motionless, pristine white pelt painted red. Hot, sticky blood covers his paw, dripping down to the ground, as his own heartbeat hammers in his ears. The memory disappears with the next blink of his eye, yet the feeling remains. Talon was not there that day, dealing with him is one thing… but directing a raiding patrol of Bloodclan? The clan that murdered his father? The clan of which Ashfur murdered a cat in revenge? A cat Talon explicitly had called a friend of his… and he doesn't know. How could he know? Ashfur has kept it a secret. A secret… not unlike Talon's position. How would he react to finding out? No, how WILL he react? After everything, how could he now continue to deny Talon this truth?

„Talon, in the old territories, during the battle… I killed a cat, I killed one of your clanmates."

Talon tilts his head, observing the Thundeclan warrior. Thoughts are churning behind red eyes, their direction difficult to read.

„And you feel you're not fit to advise me because of that? It was war, Ashfur. We killed because those were our orders, you killed because those were yours. If anything, I'm surprised you managed to kill one of us. You must have been young back then, if I'm guessing your age correctly, I could be wrong"

Uncertainty grows upon Talon's face as he doubtlessly sees the growing discomfort and worry, even mild fear building within Ashfur.

„I was young, just an apprentice, but… during the battle, together with several other apprentices, I…"

Ashfur goes silent as Talon's eyes widen with realisation, a short nasal breath leaving the Bloodclan cat as if an unexpected kick to the gut had pushed out what remained in his lungs. Talon slowly turns his head, looking down but at nothing in particular as he visibly struggles to figure out what to think of that. Ashfur's fear ebbs away as the moment stretches long and no anger seems to fill the cat next to him. That however does not clear the cramping stomach, laying heavy in the blue eyed tom as he sees sorrow flashing briefly in Talon's eyes before they are shut and remain shut for a while.

„I see… I heard the stories of course after the warriors returned. I suppose I never really thought of the fact that the young warriors from then would, necessarily, be grown now. I can't hold it much against you, Bone would have done the same if the roles had been reversed, nor would he much care for vengeance… but I can't say I expected this. Bone was there for me from my very first day when I joined Bloodclan, before it was even really called that. He and Silver and a few others…"

Talon's voice remains somewhat quiet, effort audible in it's unemotional evenness, though it comes close to cracking at the end. Ashfur's ears fold flat. He remembers so well that day. All he felt was rage and sorrow, the need to avenge Whitestorm. Bone was a brute, a murderer, a violent rogue, barely even a cat. There was pride in him as he stood over the huge warrior, that he would be able to set the finishing blow on such an enemy, even if it was with the help of the other apprentices. The thought that Bone could mean so much to any cat was as far from his mind as it could have possibly been then. Now he watches Talon take several deeper breaths for the Bloodclan leader to level himself, the old wound of grieving over a cat he looked up to freshly torn open.

„He killed my father in that battle. I didn't think…"

Ashfur's quiet explanation is silenced as Talon raises his maw for him to stop

„You don't need to justify."

Taking one more deep breath before opening his eyes again, Talon looks at their reflections in the water, their silhouettes wobbling with the stream

„Your father was the Thunderclan second-in-command then… I heard of that fight. You did what you had to. That's just what war is. Every battle can be a warrior's last. We know that well. Sometimes you don't even need a battlefield for that."

Talon raises his head, observing Ashfur from the side. The Thunderclan tom's ears had slightly risen again, though remain splayed to the back.

„We agreed on honesty, so I won't pretend this does not faze me. Bone was closer to being a father to me than my father ever was. He and Silver both. I'm grateful one of them remains. Being an alley cat, you know death is rarely far. Can't escape it, so you learn to accept it. Bone knew that quite well. He survived a long time as a rogue before Bloodclan came to be. He knew."

Ashfur slowly nods, ears slowly rising again, though both toms avert their gaze, looking at the reflections in the water before them. Silence descends upon the area, only the running river and he gently swaying reeds making sound. Calm sounds, relaxing sounds as time slowly drags on. The same old noises Ashfur listened to when he needed to be away from things, as he knows is true for Talon as well. Lingering guilt remains though slowly, as the moments melt away and it becomes difficult to say just how much time has gone by, the tension pressing down on the whole situation lightens up a bit. Perhaps Ashfur could try to lead them away from this matter. He could still give Talon an answer to his original question later, but somehow he must manage to turn the discussion less severe. The thought that they could leave things as they are right now for tonight brings active discomfort to the blue eyed warrior.

„You had rogues joining your clan?"

Though his voice is a little quieter than average, filling the by now somewhat long silence, Ashfur's words seem almost boomingly loud. Talon flicks his ear, taking a moment to react beyond that. When he does, a short scoffed chuckle escapes him, looking over at the Thunderclan warrior from the side of his eye

„Did we have rogues…? We're a young clan, founded in twoleg-place. Most of us were rogues in the beginning. That's basically Bloodclan's entire origin and reason for being. Alley rogues tired of having to live as such. I was a rogue. Or maybe technically a loner, after my mother died. As if that distinction really matters. An alley cat destined to die in some gutter either way. Before Scourge came anyway."

Ashfur nods slowly, though some astonishment remains in his gaze

„I wouldn't have pictured you as one. I couldn't imagine life without the clan."

Talon raises his paw, observing the still mostly encrusted webbing covered wound in it

„You never needed to, you were born into your clan. It's your normal, always was. I was born in some small alley. We had a box to sleep in, my mother and I, until I was about… six moons, I think? Maybe a little less. That was all I'd seen of the world up to then. So eager I was to explore more back then…"

Talon slightly tilts his head, keeping his gaze on the treated wound, eyes growing thoughtful

„Twoleg-place is not a forgiving place. From a certain point on, you have to grow up very quickly. Learn to find food, no matter from where, stay alive. And most mistakes you do, you're lucky if you even get the chance to repeat them."

He turns his head down the left side of his body, looking at the scars adorning his shoulder and side. Ashfur follows his gaze, observing quietly the past gashes on the Bloodclan cat for a moment

„From back then?"

The red eyed leader nods

„Dark pelt hides most scars quite well, if the wound get a chance to heal properly. Malnutrition makes them heal more poorly."

The dark grey tom partially stands up to shake out his coat before sitting back down

„But enough of that. What about you? I imagine growing up in Thunderclan was quite different"

Ashfur hums, pulling a slight grimace as he looks up to the stars, shining on in Silverpelt

„Yes, but I am not the best example. I grew up during the trouble with Tigerstar. A lot of things happened… I told you what that foxhearted monster did to my mother. He led Bloodclan to the forest, then tried to betray Scourge… and that ended up killed my father. I was glad to have my siblings and my mentor Dustpelt. They were all the family I had by the time I became a warrior."

Anger rapidly boils up in Ashfur's voice, his eyes narrowed and darkened as he beholds the far celestial sparkles. The very memory of Tigerstar sets his blood ablaze with fury, the thought that now Brambleclaw trains under him only furthering his seething. Only towards the end does the revulsion in his voice ease up a bit. The comfort of Ferncloud, the company of Cloudtail, the guidance of Dustpelt, they each were there for him, they all cared and never truly ceased to. A small spark of comfort, among the wretched rest. Especially in the early days after Squirrelflight left him, Ferncloud's consoling had been soothing. He shakes his head and takes a deep breath of the icy air before returning his gaze to Talon, whom is listening attentively.

„Do you have any siblings? Other family?"

Talon calmly shakes his head, with a quiet grunt laying down, tail laying close against his side

„No siblings. My mother died, starved. As for my father…"

Talon's whiskers twitch in amusement, though by tone of voice Ashfur isn't sure if it's real of fake

„…I'm a Jake's kit"

A brief silence ensues, Ashfur left mildly confused by the answer. It takes a few heartbeats before Talon glances back at the other tom, noticing the confusion in his gaze

„Ah, right… I forgot, you'd probably not know that expression. There was a well known kitty-pet turned wandering loner named Jake in twoleg-place. And everywhere he went, he left fatherless kits behind. So, anytime a kit is born and no one knows who the father is, they're just called a Jake's kit. Though I do not think THE Jake was my father, I don't think he ever passed through that part of twoleg-place."

Ashfur blinks a few times, before nodding and turning is head away

„I see. No, in the clans usually everyone knows who everyone's parents are or were. I'm sorry. I did not mean to pry on something like that"

Talon chuckles and shakes his head before returning his gaze out over the water

„No need to apologise. Not every father is a good father out in the alleys. Maybe it's a mercy I never knew him. Either way, just twoleg-place being twoleg-place."

„Right…"

Ashfur slowly lays down as well. Though it clearly isn't something Talon wants if his answer is anything to go by, but the Thunderclan cat can't help but feel some amount of pity. Everything Talon has told him so far of twoleg-place, especially before Bloodclan, sounds like a fate worse than the Dark Forest. Fierce as he seemed to be, it's becoming clear why cats chose Scourge over continuing a life like that. Though, as his thoughts go deeper, remaining directed towards kin and family, a question he'd found himself wondering about before returns to the Thunderclan warrior. He'd spoken about his own troubles with a mate, potentially raising a family, but what of Talon? Bloodclan is a clan, Talon had spoken of their young when he explained their Trials. Clearly they must have families too, mates, kits. Perhaps that'd be prying a bit too deeply.

„You got other questions."

Ashfur finds Talon observing him from the side with mild amusement

„You're fairly easy to read when you're zoning out. Well go on. You'll have quite some tales to sit through when I get to recount my latest misadventures, so now would be the time."

A brief hint of sadness flashes in Talon's eyes as he speaks, though it seems gone with his next blink. His expression remains entertained, his left ear attentively perked towards the Thunderclan cat.

„Well, you know of me and Squirrelflight. I was wondering if you have a mate, in Bloodclan?"

Ashfurs mild embarrassment at being caught deep in thought again turns increasingly to curiosity as he sees Talon lower his gaze, red eyes rapidly showing some deeper pondering at the question

„Hm… If you had asked me when we began training, my answer would have been a clear no. I've had some brief… encounters after battles or the like, but never something meant to last."

Crossing his front legs, Ashfur flicks his notched ear, a visibly questioning look upon him

„What do you mean by that?"

The Bloodclan leader returns a mildly confused look before letting out a scoff, whiskers twitching amused

„Oh come now, you're a grown warrior, are you not? You mean to tell me that after a fierce battle, the rush still in your head, your pulse still in your ear, the tang of blood still on your tongue, you've never looked at one or another of your clanmates a bit… differently for a night or so?"

The blue eyed tom mildly recoils at the question, eyes wide in surprise

„No! No, never. I don't think that's something that happens often in our clans. Is that common in Bloodclan?"

Talon blinks, visibly no much less surprised by Ashfur's answer as the Thunderclan cat was by the question. With a quiet hum, Talon looks at his reflection in the water, pondering for a heartbeat

„Well… I doesn't happen much anymore now that we're divided into factions. So, maybe that's only something that happens with enough cats around to not make it awkward, I suppose. But among warriors without mates, it used to happen. Longest I ever was with someone was with Hound, a few days, but aside from being predestined to be short-lived, it didn't end very well. But…"

Talon waves his paw dismissingly and shakes his head

„Anyway, I might soon, is the best answer I can give. It… turned out that I'd been blind to a she-cat having her eyes on me for a little while now until recently. Imagine how foolish I felt, finding out that apparently the whole clan had noticed well before I ever did. I never even really thought of taking a mate until that point."

Finding some mild humour in this revelation, Ashfur still finds himself a little too stunned by the previous one. More so still, Hound does not sound like a she-cat's name either, leaving him on the Thunderclan tom on uncertain ground. That'd not be something you'd much see in the forest clans, or at least not something any cat speaks of. The idea had never really occurred to him, perhaps because of that same reason. Still, an answer he sought and he certainly received one. So, the Bloodclan leader might soon have a mate of his own. As he still struggles to become worthy of the one who holds his own heart. Though he feels some joy in this for Talon, it is tainted by the slightest hint of jealousy.

„I'm glad for you then. My time with Squirrelflight was easily the best of my life. I hope you find that same happiness."

Despite the little spark of envy, Ashfur speaks with genuine sincerity, getting a grateful look and nod from Talon

„One may hope. It's not absolute certainty yet, mind you. I feel like I'm stumbling and improvising most of the time, but I'm beginning to truly care for it to go well. She is special, in a lot of good ways… Either way, we still have to get you your mate back. I have promised to train you and I am not about to abandon that endeavour any time soon."

Ashfur reciprocates the look of gratefulness, the certainty of the Bloodclan leader's promise bringing a mild sense of ease.

„I appreciate that. I'll keep up the effort."

„I have no doubt on that. You've made clear how important it is to you."

Talon rests his head on his paws, his tail flicking before returning right back to his side. A moment of silence returns, this time pleasantly free of any underlying pressure. The two toms just resting by the river, observing the rippling river, the stars. The serenity of this little spot soothing as it always has been, the pine trees on the other side of the water gently swaying in the light wind. This is nice. For a moment, Ashfur can forget, there is nothing bothering, no aching. Just a few heartbeats of tranquility. In an instant like this, even the light of the stars seems less cold, less like far and uncaring. Just the brilliant shine of ancestors in Starclan, granting their light to illuminate Silverpelt. A hope inspiring sight. This may just all work out. And perhaps some day they may sit and speak of their mates and families to each other.

„I don't like having to pressure you…"

Ashfur's ears perk up as Talon's voice cuts through the quiet, his head turning to observe the dark grey leader as he tips one of his claws into the water's surface repeatedly, distorting their reflections in it

„but I still need your answer. I understand if you wish to have no part in it, but we will have to launch a raid either way. And you help, your directions, would be a great help to us"

Ashfur nods slowly, before looking down at the wobbling image of himself, pulled in strange ways by the little ripples, considering for a brief heartbeat

„I only wish to see them squirming a bit for continuing to make trouble at the border. I do not want any of them to die. No cat will die, right, Talon?"

The Bloodclan cat ceases poking the water, turning his gaze over to Ashfur, a hint of warm sincerity hiding in the eyes of an otherwise serious expression

„I will do my very best to make it so. That, I promise"

The blue eyed warrior holds the leader's gaze for a heartbeat before nodding once more and looking back at his own reflection, now clearer once more, staring back at himself as he speaks

„Past the end of our forest, the open moor, reaching all the way to the horseplace, that is Windclan territory. Their camp is in a scoop, not very far from the lake. You'll need to be careful though. Unless there's bad weather, they apparently prefer to sleep out in the open in the middle of camp. And they're fast. If the Gathering patrol returns and persues you before you're off their territory, they will almost certainly catch up with your warriors."

Talon listens with both ears perked, listening to each word and visibly mulling over it, his eyes lowered and mildl darting in thought.

„They do have a healer's den too though, correct?"

„Yes, should be one of the few real dens they got. But unless Barkface brings him to the Gathering, his apprentice will be in the medicine den."

Talon hums, which fades into a small chuckle

„We dealt with that well enough last time. The warriors all sleeping outside is a bigger issue… we'll waste valuable time, waiting for them to be surely asleep, but if we don't it'll turn into a battle… unless…"

Ashfur watches the Bloodclan leader closely as an idea seems to begin taking shape behind red eyes

„If the clans are still alert from our last raid, Windclan might have a guard out even during their Gathering night. If so, we could use that to our advantage."

The Thunderclan warrior gives no comment, though some mild concern sparks in the back of his mind. Talon's eyes are focused and cold, the sheer seriousness of his expression as he mutters quietly, seemingly mostly to himself borders on the concerning. It seems as though, much like during their first real encounter, when they still considered each other enemies, the blue eyed tom now gets a glimpse at a true Bloodclan cat. After a little while, Talon nod and a small pleased smile grows upon him

„It will be different from the raid on Thunderclan, but I believe I know how to go about it now. Your information may well have saved lives, Ashfur. If we had just blindly tried the exact same thing there, it would have likely ended in a bloodbath"

The red eyed leader's head lowers down to rest upon his paws, visibly easing up, which in turn, though not completely, eases Ashfur's concern as well.

„So… it will go by without bloodshed?"

Talon looks over at Ashfur from the side with pleased confidence

„I believe so. We can remove most of the risk pretty easily this time. Certainly more secure than our last big adventure"

The confidence remains in the shining red eyes a heartbeat longer, before sorrow begins to slowly supplant it and the smile begins to fade. Ashfur gives him a questioning look, his concern for Windclan quick to be replaced by one for his current companion

„What's wrong, Talon? What happened?"

Talon seems briefly pulled out of some memories, looking at Ashfur before turning his gaze outward once more over the river

„Well, get comfortable. It's quite a story and for it to make full sense, I'll have to start from fairly early on, all the way from our last dog hunt…"