Slowly Talon rises with a wide yawn. The day had not proven too eventful after his talks with Kestrel and Frost, and yet, by the time the sun descended, Talon had felt thoroughly exhausted. A small unsuccessful hunt here, a brief bit of training with Lantern's kits, and nothing of real note beyond that occurred. Except perhaps for Talon's excessive brooding and thinking about ongoing matters. All the more does it seem as a pleasant surprise now, as the red eyed tom takes a look around, that he quickly realises that it is not his den he wakes in. A mild displeasure runs down Talon's spine as he beholds the seemingly endless lack of anything all around him, stretching on and on. The familiarity warming him however proves stronger after he finds what he suspected to be nearby.

„Greetings, Scourge."

The small black tom, sitting some two tail-lengths off to the side, simply gives a curt nod to acknowledge Talon's greeting before rising to his paws, beginning to pad away. After a brief stretch, Talon follows the former leader, by now knowing somewhat what to expect. Indeed very soon after, the two wander into the Dark Forest, the sensation of tangible ground and leaves under his paws downright pleasant after even a brief track through the Void to Talon.

„Training today will be brief. Injuries would impede your task tomorrow."

Scourge's sudden voice, paired with it's natural slightly higher pitch, mildly startle Talon for a heartbeat. The moment passing quickly, the red eyed leader flicks his tail, kicking up a few of the rotting leaves

„Very well, makes sense. I do hope it will be a success. It would do us some good"

„You are leader. If you deem it important, then it is your duty to make sure it will succeed"

Talon lets out a sharp exhale, biting back a comment on the pressure that builds on his shoulders. Though even so, he can not disagree. A leader must see to it that his cats survive, no matter what. No duty could be greater or more important than that, surely.

Looking around, Talon finds the surroundings faintly familiar, a clear impression that he's walked this path before in his mind. An impression confirmed as he spots in passing the clearing Bone and he had trained. In that case, they could only be headed for one place. Pushing through a bush, Talon finds a small smile forming on himself, the clearing before him familiar as well, even more so the cats therein. Bone, sitting on a nearby rock and overlooking the clearing, bows his head at Scourge's return, before swaying his tail in greetings at Talon. Talon returns the gesture, quickly realising after that he has already thus drawn the attention of most other spirits present. Fury and Snipe, engaged in a sparring match, fail to notice, as Fury repeatedly manages to batter down her opponent, but beyond them most eyes at least briefly turn towards Scourge and Talon. Bowing to Scourge as the pass on their way to approach Talon, Claw accompanies someone new here, bringing both a bit of grief and relief to Talon.

„Echo, Scourge found you then."

The blueish-grey tom holds a small smile as he approaches. None of the many wounds Talon saw littering his cold body in Wrath's territory remain upon the spirit, the deep gashes all along his belly and flanks gone as if they'd never occurred.

„Indeed. Fairly quickly so even. Or so I think. Can't say being dead helps your perception of time much, Void or Dark Forest. I was told you came to pay me respects though. Not yet sure how cats doing that is supposed to make me feel, but I appreciate the thought."

Though a great many questions pulse in Talon's mind, begging to be asked, the conversation is cut short with a sway of Scourge's tail.

„You can gossip later, if you must. First comes training."

Scourge stalks on to the centre of the clearing, turning to look at Talon, clearly expectantly. Talon nods quickly and takes off his reinforcing claws, soon joining his former leader.

„You still remain too soft, Talon. Being able to spill the blood of a rogue or two does not suffice for what you aim to achieve. You must react to a challenge quickly and decisively. I will attack, you will try to counter. Your response must be immediate and firm. Perhaps fighting will teach you what words clearly fail to."

Talon nods, lowering himself into his stance. Is Scourge referring to Argent, his comments on how a leader would have reacted differently to his words, or to Frost's latest outbreak against Kestrel? Quite possibly both and more… it seems the founder of Bloodclan is managing thus far to keep well up to date with all that goes on around Talon. Though the dark grey tom feels little surprise in that by now.

„Ready"

Scourge observes his trainee for a brief moment before dropping into his own stance

„Clearly, not even remotely yet."

With that, the small black tom dashes on around Talon, nigh fast enough for Talon to lose track of him by merely blinking. Scourge said he would avoid injuries today, but it dawns on Talon that that does not mean this lesson will go by painlessly. Avoiding Scourge's first strike aimed for the side of his neck, Talon attempts to strike out in retaliation, coming up empty. Too slow… way too slow, Scourge is already somewhere else. Turning to find the former leader, Scourge's paw connects with speed the side of Talon's face. Forced to take a step back to keep balance, Talon quietly hisses at the dull stinging in his cheek. Training has begun.

Huffing, his heart beating hard enough to hear the blood flow in his ears, Talon struggles to remain upright. He'd gotten a few hits in as the training went on, figuring it faster to lash out at where Scourge's strike comes from rather than actually having to see and precisely register his position. More instinctive, less attempting to overanalyse the situation. Though the few hits Talon manages seem poor compensation for the battering he received. Scourge knows to use his smaller frame to strike like lightning, with deceiving force. The only good thing about it, Scourge had to keep moving. The small black tom panting for air even more than Talon. In a fight, it would not have mattered, Talon would have been crowfood long before he'd gotten this fatigue out of his former leader, but right now it means reprieve. Scourge sits down, signalling the end of the bout with a sway of his tail. Talon nods wordlessly and more falls on his rump than properly sitting. His head still rings from the strikes it received, feeling impacts all over his body to go along with it. As some time passes and slowly his breath is regained, Talon looks around, finding that many of Bloodclan's dead had been watching the spectacle, some with undisguised amusement. Turning his head to the rock Bone sits upon, keeping his watch, he still does so dutifully, but even he casts an entertained glance over to Talon.

„When you return. We will train more regularly."

The red eyed leader turns his head back towards Scourge, ears perked at the founder's words. Scourge seems to recuperate a little better than Talon, apparently focusing very actively on his breathing when he's not speaking.

„For now, training's over. Tomorrow's too important."

Talon nods, laying down on his belly, tail tugged up against his left side

„Yes. We must get that meat. I can't let anything stop us on that"

Scourge pulls his gaze away, the tip of his jet black tail tapping against the ground

„The food is vital. But I think the lessons it might instil, some it already begins to, will serve you just as well"

Talon tilts his head slightly

„Lessons? Like doing what needs to be done?"

Scourge quietly scoffs

„Every cat, Bloodclan, rogue, loner or kitty-pet claims to do what needs doing. Everyone pretends to know what that means. So very few truly do."

The former leader's icy eyes return to Talon, Scourge's gaze piercing into the red eyed tom

„Overthinking as you are, you know that many things could go wrong, and yet you do it still. But that is only the beginning. What when you need to choose between a life and the food? Two lives, three? Where is the line drawn? Will you keep your cool if you lose your way of navigating the sewers? Can you show the harshness to keep panicking cats in line to save their lives? All that is part of ´what needs to be done´. Will you know ´what needs to be done´ when the time comes?"

Scourge keeps holding Talon's gaze, his demand for an answer clear enough without needing to be spoken aloud. Talon escapes the cold stare by lowering his gaze, thinking on it. He knows it is dangerous, there is no shortage of risks. But the way Scourge turned one question draws Talon in like none of the rest. Where is the line drawn… Where IS the line drawn? It'd be callous but logical to say as many as it takes to still bring enough food back for the faction as such to survive… but then what good would that do them if it leaves them too few to fend off their rivals in Bloodclan? But preserving lives today, only to watch them wither and die of hunger tomorrow achieves nothing either. To die slowly like that, fading a little more each day, becoming more of a strengthless husk each passing dawn… Talon's claws dig into the ground. Memories resurfacing. Pain, grief, blame… anger. With a loud scoff, Talon shakes his head clear of his memories. Not now. Taking in a slow breath, he raises his gaze to meet Scourge's again, the small black cat not having moved a singular whisker.

„I'll simply have to"

A moment of silence passes, before Scourge slowly nods

„Yes, you will have to. Whatever your decisions when such a time comes, and on the path you're on it will come, unavoidably, again and again: quick and decisive."

As Scourge's gaze wanders off again, Talon is left wondering if Scourge approved of his answer, or if he merely wanted to hear what he'd have to say. The former leader's voice and expression remain as unchanged as always, leaving no cracks to peer through to what's going on in his mind. As silence once more falls, aside from some talking of other spirits in the clearing, Scourge finally rises up.

„Much of the night remains. Rest or talk with the others, I care not. I'll return, stay till then. There may be something you ought to see."

„As you wish, Scourge"

With a grunt, Talon slowly pushes himself off the ground, his breath mostly steady again as he shakes himself out to get rid of the rotten leaves clinging to his pelt. He hardly gets another chance to see the former leader before Scourge is already near the edge of the clearing, pushing through the bushes and disappearing into the unknown that is the Dark Forest.

„He's not wrong, you know"

Talon almost jumps at the voice sounding from right behind him, turning to find in fact a trio of cats, Jaggedtooth and Echo, with Claw in the lead.

„Much of what made Scourge appealing s a leader. He could make tough calls when the moment called for it, and went through with them without compromise. Got things done"

Talon sighs, but nods. His muscles, and more over the bruises ache at his rapid motion to turn around. They are right, obviously. But it takes character to be like that. It takes time to become like that, time Talon might not have if things go wrong on tomorrow's trip.

„I know. I suppose I won't know if I truly got it until I'm in the situation. Can't say I look forward to it however"

Echo steps closer before sitting down

„You'd have to be very callous to look forward to such things. I guess the fact that you don't is much of what was the appeal of cats to follow you. You made no secret of caring still. Perhaps some of that is worth keeping too, but walking the line between the two might prove quite the balancing act."

Talon pulls a slight grimace. True enough on all accounts. Could it even be done? Scourge cared about the clan, still does, it's obvious, yet he never displayed many signs of it. Perhaps it is achievable, being colder like Scourge, without letting go of all warmth. But a balancing act that'd be indeed. The clan clearly expects more firmness, Argent, Frost, Scourge… even Silver expressed that fairly clearly. Plenty food for thought, but perhaps a bit too much to digest all right now. In a bid to both sate his own curiosity and to change the subject, Talon turns to Echo.

„We'll have to see. I do have a question, though it might be a bit personal"

Echo hums interestedly, reflecting the same in his greyish eyes

„What's up? If you couldn't tell, I've got nothing BUT time to answer right now."

Sitting back down himself, Talon's expression must be giving away some rough direction his question might go, as Echo's eyes begin to hold some regret before it is even asked

„You and Poppy… I suppose there was more than most of us knew?"

Echo's ears slightly droop, his little smile remaining but failing to disguise his grief

„Well, I suspect most of the clan knew very little. Things didn't really get very far, not as far as either of us wanted. When the clan split, I admit I was… angry. I wanted to pay the forest cats back in kind for what they'd taken. When it became time to choose a side between you lot, a lot of things were said. Things I ended up hoping I could take back at some point. I guess despite all that, she still didn't take the news of me well, huh? Maybe some day, when she joins us here. You make sure that won't happen anytime soon, yeah? She still has too much time left, she should find and live in happiness again before that. She deserves that much. I'll wait for her."

Claw lays his tail on Echo's shoulder, offering a sympathetic smile, which Echo return with a appreciative glance. Talon nods slowly

„I'll do my very best"

„I know."

The bluish grey tom turns an equally appreciative look towards Talon. Not wanting to heave even more onto his regretful clanmate, Talon turns to Jaggedtooth next

„Has Fang been found yet?"

The thick furred ginger shakes his head

„Not yet, but Scourge regularly heads out to look for her. Her and Wicker both"

Talon's heart drops a little

„Wicker too?"

Claw shakes his head

„Not long after you left Wrath's alley. He was in a bad spot. Venom is good, but even she can't work miracles. It was a mercy at that point. Hopefully he's found soon."

„Nasty end, infection. He fought strongly from what I heard. He'll be good to have here"

Jaggedtooth notes with a hum, looking at one of his paws as he unsheathes his claws to inspect them. Talon observes with a small amount of interest that Jaggedtooth pays special attention to one specific claw, as if it held memories or significance well beyond the rest, but chooses not to comment on it. Something about it seems very personal and Talon would prefer not to pry on a cat he does not know that well yet. Perhaps they could still exchange stories some later time. It is Claw that breaks the brief ensuing silence

„You did well standing your ground against Wrath. I think you earned a little bit of his respect."

Talon scoffs with mild amusement

„Enough to survive when he's back on his paws and coming for me?"

Claw chuckles and shakes his head

„Let's not get ahead of ourselves, alright? But ideally that won't happen right away. Safe to say, his quarrel with Snake and Ice takes precedence. Either way, he won't be foolish enough to run in on you as long as you've got more than twice the number of warriors. By then perhaps Scourge will have shown you to bring him down."

Echo hums, rolling his eyes

„I mean no offence, but it'll be a while before that. He's scary in battle when he really gets into it. A sight to die for, I can confirm."

Echo's chuckle brings forth an entertained giggle from the rest of the group, the conversation getting increasingly more casual from that point on. Slowly, one after the other finding themselves laying in a circle, the four cats talk, recounting stories of seeing each other fighting or amusing moments from better times, when the clan was whole still. Jaggedtooth mostly speaks of his time as a rogue, obviously not going unnoticed, but no-one presses much for his time in the forest clans, though the unspoken curiosity of it hangs heavy in the air. None the less, the moment is thoroughly pleasant to Talon. Here, there is no playing leader, no need to ´uphold authority´, only a Bloodclan warrior among clanmates, sharing stories. A soothing time, despite the news of Wicker and the stress of tomorrow's expedition. For all but a heartbeat, he could almost forget. Forget he's in the Dark Forest, forget his company are all spirits, forget the clan ever broke.

The end of the discussions, toward which's end even Fury and Snipe join the circle, is heralded by Scourge's return. As the small former leader approaches and the circle becomes aware of him, they all sit up, greeting Scourge with a small bow. The black tom waves with his one white paw for Talon to follow, without speaking another word, before already turning around and heading off. Talon gives a hurried „bye" to the spirits around before bounding after Scourge. Barely outside the bushes, Scourge drops lower, advancing noiselessly and cautiously. The fact that for all intents and purposes, despite the feeling of familiarity in Bloodclan's little clearing, the Dark Forest remains hostile ground resurges in Talon's mind. Lowering into a proper stalk, Talon follows Scourge, vigilant and cautious, ears constantly shifting to catch any noise around him. Their path leads onward for a good while, Scourge easily fitting in every shade, shadow and crevice along the way, easily finding cover to regularly stop for a heartbeat to listen for any indications that someone else might be around, before moving on. Though his dark pelt aids Talon almost as well as most of Scourge's does him, Talon's above average size forces him to be a lot more selective for any brief stops. None the less, the pair arrives at the apparent destination, as Scourge takes cover behind a shaded, fallen branch and beckons Talon to approach with a discrete flick of his tail. Slowly moving behind a small, mostly barren bush, laying nigh flat to create as little profile as possible, Talon peers through past the little twigs and branches at the scene up before them. So they spoke the truth then last time he was here…

In the clearing before the two Bloodclan cats, the familiar grey pelt of Ashfur darts back and forth, trying to land hits on a pelt that, were it not for the slightly unkept looking spikes, looks a lot like Ashfur's own. A rugged, strong looking spirit, scarred from battles of the past, beats aside most of Ashfur's attempts, regularly managing several vicious strikes in return. Talon observes their sparring with interest. Ashfur's gotten a bit better, but it's obvious that his opponent holds the advantage, both in experience and raw strength, regularly reminding Ashfur of it with swipes clearly aimed to be painful above anything else. A crude way to teach, though perhaps not ineffective… as long as you don't destroy more than you build in your trainee. The battle goes on and on, Ashfur landing his share of hits, even attempting use of his teeth for once, bringing a pleased, small smile to Talon. For each hit Ashfur lands however, his ancestor strikes three, and his use of claws is very indiscriminate for a training fight, to the point where it just seems excessive. The scent of blood wafts over to the hiding spot of the Bloodclan cats, a familiar smell, though for some reason Talon feels agitated by it. Between sights and scent, a low but still undeniable anger burns, deep in Talon's gut. His gaze follows several droplets of Ashfur's blood falling to end up glistening upon the rotting leaves on the ground like morning dew, after a gash to his shoulder leaves a small stream of red flowing down through the grey pelt.

Is this then how Dark Forest cats train? It is fierce, almost to the point of ruthless. Does this truly strengthen a training warrior, such insistence on punishing every mistake in blood? Ashfur's ancestor seems formidable indeed, so perhaps it does. And yet, Talon's blood remains boiling as he observes the spirit's claws glistening in Ashfur's blood. Drawing some blood during training is fine, Talon earned his fair share of wounds and bruises sparring, as did every warrior he knows. Still, laying into each other like that, it seems excessive for the intended goal.

A pat on his shoulder pulls Talon from his thoughts and observations. Scourge's tail pulls away from Talon's shoulder as the red eyed warrior turns to look. The message is clear, though it does displease the grey furred leader somewhat. Time to go, it would be careless to linger until their training ends, not knowing which way they might go after. With a small nod, Talon ever so slightly raises himself off the ground and silently follows his former leader. Perhaps all the better, he has things to take care of, an important day ahead. Though he can't help but wonder, why did Scourge show him this at all?