Slowly Talon opens his eyes, groaning softly as he raises his head from his paws. As he lazily looks around, all he beholds is perfect darkness all around. Is it so late in the night and the twoleg lights went out? Sighing softly, he lowers his head, to his surprise seeing his own paws with absolute clarity. He's not in his den, that must mean… The tom rises to his paws and looks around more thoroughly, finding a familiar shape standing a few pawsteps behind him, beholding him with icy blue eyes.

„Greetings, Scourge. Time for the first training session then?"

As Talon shakes out his pelt and pads over to the small black cat, that one sets into motion as well, beginning to lead the way

„Yes. You will need it. In time you will face fierce battles, you will need to be ready."

Talon hums quietly as he follows the deceased leader. Makes sense, uniting the clan will likely end up having him fight the likes of Wrath. As of right now, that would still come close to a certain death sentence. He will need to grow stronger to press his claim to the end.

„Why did you not attack?"

Talon's thoughts are interrupted by Scourge's voice, the black tom carrying on to pad ahead without looking back at the grey warrior following him

„Attack who?"

„Any of them. You have enough cats, you could have taken over Granite or Wraith's territory by now, added their cats and ground to yours. Snow is setting in as you sleep right now, the opportunity is over for now. Why did you not seize it?"

Talon blinks, somewhat surprised at Scourge's accusation

„Facing either Flame or Wraith would have been my death. Is that not why I am here to train?"

„You could have send another cat to lead the charge"

„Would that not have been… cowardly? Not to mention cats would have died, clanmates"

Scourge shakes his head, in clear disapproval despite nothing changing in his expression

„A leader makes no excuses, Talon. If there's a mistake, he corrects it, but he owes no explanation. Do not excuse your course of action, or cats will begin to doubt it. Cats that doubt you won't be loyal. A clan without loyalty breaks apart"

Talon's ears perk up. His lessons have already begun before he'd even noticed.

„I see. I will do better, Scourge"

„You will have to. You have less choice in the matter than you know. If you wish to stop Bloodclan cats from dying, you have hardly any choice at all."

After a short while already, Talon notices that the environment changes. No more emptiness, but the crooked trees of the Dark Forest surround them now. Scourge spins around and sits down, prompting Talon to halt and sit as well, his attention on the small tom before him

„I've brought you in much closer to the Dark Forest this time. We are still trying to find out if they have any way of knowing if or where sleeping cats enter the afterlife. "

„Of course."

Talon nods his head in agreement.

„As for what I said, you should have attacked still. If a cat openly claims you to act cowardly, challenge them. Either they back down, making themselves the coward instead, or you shred them and prove their words wrong. The opportunity you missed will cost the clan, Talon. It will cost the clan dearly."

Worry rises up in Talon at Scourge's words, though he tries not to show. How so? What will happen now? He did not attack because he hoped to keep cats from dying. Does Scourge mean to say that backfires?

„How so? With leafbare now having started as you said, who would fight us?"

„You count on all cats making logical decisions, Talon. Most of them make their decisions more often based on ideals and emotion than on actual thought. And not all cats die at the end of a claw. The clan will suffer this leafbare and it's consequences will drag itself along for a long time like a festering wound."

„Then how do I stop it? What can I do to prevent it, Scourge?"

Talon's voice is heavy with his guilty worry. If Scourge is right, Bloodclan might lose a lot of cats. There must be something that can be done, surely. Attacking or wandering far is risky during a snowy leafbare, but some solutions must remain. Talon's heart sinks as Scourge simply closes his eyes and shakes his head

„Cats made their decisions, you included, and now the time of consequence arrives. No cat can avoid consequence. Your best course of action now is to keep your cats safe and well. The stronger your faction is when leafbare ends, the better your chances to avoid such a thing again in the future. But for now, things will run their course. Besides, you will have worries of your own"

Talon slowly nods, though leaves his head hanging afterwards. A feeling of helplessness lays heavy on the tom's heart. This is precisely what he sought to avoid. Could he have done better? How would things be playing out if he had attacked as Scourge says he should have? Maybe he could have assured cats were fed with more territory. Perhaps having access to his herbs could have saved his clanmates in other factions. But what about those worries he will have? Perhaps at least those he will be able to deal with, that is what he is there for after all. Slowly rising his head again, he looks at Scourge

„Those worries… do they involve the traitor you mentioned?"

„That and more, Talon. Cats always speak of loyalty like it's such a clear cut thing. It is often much more fickle than any cat would admit. Sometimes cats grow disillusioned when they discover that their idea of something and reality are vastly different from each other."

Talon observes Scourge raise his paw to his collar during that last sentence, seeming to reminisce for a moment before returning his eyes to Talon. Clearly emotions run through the small tom, but neither voice nor gaze betray even a bit of it. They remain calm and cold, no opening, no weakness. Talon can't help but be impressed, although the worry of all he's just been told remaining strong in the back of his mind.

„Also, be wary with your little forest pet, Talon. A few of the Dark Forest cats have grown far too content and impatient in the last few days. I have a feeling some plot is coming together in the forest clans. Do not get too involved. Bloodclan has it's own troubles to deal with right now. It's attention cannot become divided with other cats troubles"

„My loyalty is to Bloodclan, Scourge. You know that. Ashfur's purpose is for me to train and to gather intel on the forest clans for the future. That is all"

Scourge's stare seems to grow colder still, peering into Talon's eyes, causing the grey cat's neckfur to stand up in discomfort. Without speaking a word, Scourge imposes a feeling of imminent mortal danger on Talon.

„You are there at least just as much to sate your own curiosities, Talon. Lie to me ever again and I'll remove your pelt while you're conscious to behold it."

At no point does Scourge's voice change in tone, yet his threat goes right under Talon's skin. Scourge would be capable of keeping his word on this. He bows his head before the small black tom

„I did not intend to lie, Scourge. I apologise"

Feeling his heartbeat increase, Talon waits, head remaining lowered, for an answer from Scourge. After what felt like seasons, Scourge give a disgruntled sigh, the most emotional noise Talon ever heard from the cold former leader, raising his gaze to meet Scourge's eyes.

„You still cower too easily. Two things you should understand Talon: what I say will always be true and I will always evaluate your response to it from now on. I WILL claw your fur off if you lie again, but you lead Bloodclan cats. You can absolutely not cower and beg forgiveness, ever. Cats followed me because I could keep them safe, fed and guided. If I had EVER cowered like that, Bloodclan would not have become as powerful as it was."

Talon blinks, thinking on this for a moment, his neckfur slowly laying down again

„I understand. It is merely difficult. You were my leader, Scourge. You remain a legend to us all."

Talon slightly winces as the tips of Scourge's reinforced claws move across his chest in one swift motion. The gash isn't deep, but blood begins flowing from it, dampening the fur around as the surprised Talon recoils with wide eyes

„I said no excuses, Talon. What if you come face to face with Flame or Wrath? What if some rogue builds a similar reputation as I had and threatens Bloodclan territory? Whom you got in front of you matters not. If the clan's leader is weak, the clan is weak. If the clan is weak, it and all cats in it suffer. So, what must you do to keep Bloodclan from suffering?"

Scourge raises his paw, beginning to lap the droplets of Talon's blood off his claws. Slowly settling down again, Talon places his paw on his wound before removing it, beholding his blood sticking to his pawpads. The gash stings, though not too much. The wound would heal within a day or two completely. The lesson would need to stick longer.

„…I will be strong. Strong enough to protect and lead the clan"

„You will. Your training has begun, Talon. Do not disappoint me. What you are meant to do is too important. Get up. It is time that you see how a leader of Bloodclan should fight"

Talon groans as he slowly rises up inside his den, feeling like he'd just fallen down a ravine. Luckily Scourge deigned to take off their dogteeth before training, or even with claws mostly sheathed he'd be cut up bad now. He had expected Scourge to be nimble, but not his strength, nor how easily the small tom could exploit even the briefest opening in Talon's defence. In just one night Talon has been made a lot more familiar with the feel and smell of the Dark Forest's floor than he'd have ever cared to know. Looking down himself, he still smells blood. He wipes his paw along his chest, with surprise finding that it is in fact still bleeding. The wound Scourge struck remains real even awake. No, not a mere wound, a reminder. He will need to change his ways if he is to lead Bloodclan. Slowly stepping forth and out of his den, Talon is greeted by a gust of freezing air. A gentle snowfall has set in, parts of the alley already covered in a thin white coat. Scourge was right, snow has set in… which means he was likely right about everything else as well. Looking around, Talon deduces from the few trails of pawprints and equally few cats he can spot up and about that most the cats are still in their nests. Waving his tail in greeting to Viper and Daze, the two mothers waving back, sharing tongues with each other, Talon walks into the healer's den. After his eyes adjust, he spots Grail soundly sleeping in one end of the room and Rain in the far other. Venom currently leans over the low bucket catching the pipe's water, refreshing herself with a drink before she takes notice of Talon and pads over.

„Greetings, Talon. Seems leafbare is here aftera… are you injured? I smell blood"

The she-cat's expression briefly contorts with worry, but after observing Talon standing strong it disappears again

„Just a small scratch. Want to make sure it won't get infected. We have something for that, right?"

Venom nods, sniffling the air and finding the wound lightly hidden under Talon's chest fur easily enough.

„I'll lick some marigold into it, that will stop the bleeding and keep infection out. But only a bit, I don't want to burn through my new reserves already. Follow me"

The two cats wander over to the lowest shelf, where Venom has her sorted herbs. Taking a small piece of marigold, she begins chewing it into a thin paste before leaning in to lick it into Talon's gash. The grey tom flicks his torn ear at the sting, but makes no comment, knowing better than to interrupt Venom while she's treating a patient. After a small while it is done and Venom steps back

„That should do. To be safe, come back tomorrow so I can take a look at it again, but as long as you don't go crawling through the greatest filth, you should be good now."

Talon nods his head and mews his thanks, about to turn around to leave when Venom cuts off his path. Her voice is quiet, but her eyes show that whatever it is, she is serious about it

„There is… one more thing might wish to know. It is about Grail."

Talon lowers his voice, understanding the she-cats effort to not let Grail hear should she wake up

„What about her? You said she'd be fine"

„And she will be for he most part. I had her stand up, walk and even slowly run a few laps in here, she'll be out before the moon's end. But I fear her head injury did not go by as tracelessly as I'd hoped"

Deep worry ties a knot in Talon's stomach, casting a glance over to the sleeping russet she-cat.

„Why, what is wrong?"

„Nothing too major, luckily. But I noticed the last two days that she has developed involuntary ticks that she did not have before. When she gets excited, stressed or otherwise worked up, she begins flicking her right ear and muscle spasms set in in her right side. Usually just the legs, but sometimes also the eye and facial muscles. She'll be fine for hunting again, but if or how much it impedes her in a stressful fight, I can't say with certainty yet. Considering how she was flung, she still got away lucky, but she will probably carry this with her for life."