Torn in All the Same Ways || Turtle & Honey Interaction

Turtlefang wasn't inattentive to the way the young warrior reacted so warily to his presence. It was just an affect he had, sometimes, hardly known for his empathy throughout the clan. But still, they were clanmates regardless of conversation, weren't they? How cold. "Hmm. I can't be concerned for a fellow warrior if I haven't shared tongues with them? We don't all have the leisure time to associate so thoroughly with every single cat around us." With little fanfare, he strode up to the rim of the nest and seated himself like a smothering parent with none of the actual fretting, throwing an idle glance over his back in the process. Should anyone else enter the medicine cat's den, he wouldn't want to be interrupted in such an important conversation. After watching so many others mill about the area like flies to a waiting corpse, he'd half expected to have to wait until sundown to get a chance to slip in. Luckily, a slow period in the day had afforded him the early fortune of their now meeting, but it'd be frustrating to be cut off nonetheless by any unwanted visitors. After all, Honeyflare didn't seem to want them in, either.

More inconsistencies.

The details fell at his paws like a fledgling tumbled out the nest, new and underdeveloped, but a bird nonetheless. There were a few important points of reference. First of all, the appearance of the cat, which was perhaps the most directly beneficial. A cat like that, living among the clans, was easily identifiable. Turtlefang liked to make it a personal habit to attend gatherings, to survey the faces of the opponent and get the jump on any interesting tidbits before the folks at home caught wind. A large, one-eyed cat... didn't sound very familiar, off the top of his head. Such a distinct warrior would be easy to pick from a lineup. But then. It was the potential context of Beestar's killer that secured a new angle. Eyes narrowing slightly, his tail flicked hard against the ground again, thoughtful. From such a specific threat against Fallenpetal to the reference of their leader's death, it very well seemed that the same cat may have been responsible. But if that was the case, why had there not been Moonclan scent at the scene of that crime? Killers weren't often coy enough to change methods. Any cat bold enough to taunt and attack Sunclan warriors should have no issue with leaving the same scent sprawled all over Beestar. So why the change?

Either there were two separate killers- a team?- or it was one cat, and the agenda had simply shifted. Shifted from stealth kill to active provocation. That was the only reason the pair of victims had been allowed to escape, and it hinted towards a totally different motive. To go from secrecy to explicit identification... What was there to gain? Revealing one's identity so suddenly, so explicitly... seemed to be an indicator of wanting to be known. Sending a message. But if it were Moonclan sending that message, trying to express dominance, there'd be no need for an independent attack, right? They had a leader to spark war on their behalf. A leader who would quell the flames of a warrior gone rogue if she disagreed enough that they'd have to act out on their own. A single warrior wasn't sent to do the bidding of their clan's intent. There's something bigger.

The first step to understanding anything more would be to track down the attacker- or at the very least, determine whether or not they remained in Moonclan's ranks.

Turtlefang, mind racing, was no longer eyeing Honeyflare with the intensity he'd initially maintained for the sake of listening. Gaze adrift somewhere, he gave a slight nod, easily confused with a general dip of the head if not for his murmured affirmation. "Yeah. That works." Whiskers twitching, the warrior remained lost in thought, but gained enough of his tact to nod again, more definitely this time. "Yes. This will do just fine." Rising to his paws now, he considered the benefits of speaking with Fallenpetal herself next up... But it seemed illogical. Not when her rescuer had been given such an advantage in the situation by being the one to encounter it, having more time to commit everything to memory. There was nothing he could learn elsewhere that would be any more accurate. Turtlefang took a step backwards in retreat, already preparing his words to Rabbitstar as he gave Honeyflare a final glance- catching the anxious position of his ears, the bright eyes of a warrior swept up into turmoil. In spite of his composure, ever professional and untouched, he managed to falter just once. Only a little, in the offbeat between his step and the accompanying words, tinged almost melancholy in their firmer delivery, emphasized just that little more over the drifting, distracted statements that'd preceded them. "I'm sorry to ask you to recount such a horrible encounter. I won't burden you with the memory any longer. Please, get some rest."

He wasn't even halfway towards the exit before a voice called out, sharp and sudden- the same one he'd just finished his brief interrogation with. When Turtlefang lifted his head back to fall even with Honeyflare's pained(?) stare- Moved too fast? Why?- he couldn't help the wariness that crept into his expression. Nothing too on the nose. None of his feelings ever were, masked in that frustrating ambiguity that seemed to mark him as, to refer so delicately back to his charming conversation partner, a schemer. But there was a definitive stiffness to his turn around, having not expected to be beckoned back when it'd been made very clear he wasn't exactly top priority.

Or, well. Things slid a bit more into place with the accompanying questions. Just as quickly as that suspicious reaction was evoked, the tortie's guarded stare evened out with the peace of understanding. So Honeyflare was an avid investigator himself, hm? It was nearly endearing, to have someone almost stumble over themselves just to get a taste of his thoughts. It struck with rare pleasure, manifesting in the pleased taper of Turtlefang's eyelids, and only expanded with the warrior's input. With the warmth of approval seeping into his response, the initial words were automatically ones of praise. Sincere, this time. "You're correct." Not for the first time, he pondered if perhaps Honeyflare should have been apprenticed under him. Funny as he'd been as a 'paw, he'd only sharpened with time, and it was a cleverness that he liked engaging with. One he could have encouraged further. Ah, missed opportunities.

"However.. I'm not sure what else you'd like me to say." The satisfied glint dulled as he shifted his gaze elsewhere, mulling over invisible evidence. "I can agree with your conclusion. But the exact nuances are mysteries even to me. Providing you pure speculation.. seems unfair, given your situation." It was Rabbitstar who'd bear the brunt of knowledge. If there was one thing that was dangerous right now, it was feeding into unproven ideas. Telling Honeyflare a list of conspiracies regarding his very personal connection to not just one, but two attacks on the clan, felt as bad as playing into the feedback loop of anti-Moonclan claims being spread like wildfire among their lesser informed clanmates. Turtlefang hinted as much with his next addition, voice shifting critical. "My opinion would not satiate you. There is no comfort in the unknown, as painful as it can be to wait for solid answers. Rest assured, it will be handled regardless of popular opinion."

The explanation went unaddressed, Turtlefang taking a moment to eye the tabby for any hint of irony in his well wishes. Finding none, he gave a soft hmph, none too pleased to hear the name of his most recent problem being thrown around again. Although he'd never personally had a bone to pick with Iceglow outside of him being particularly irritating, it seemed the other tom certainly loved to make trouble for him in spite of his attempt at peace through ignorance. There was little pleasure to be taken in Honeyflare's acknowledgement of the unreliability of Iceglow's camp gossip; For every one cat who knew better than to listen to idle rumors, there were plenty more who took it to heart. While it wasn't particularly inconvenient to be viewed as Rabbitstar's confidante, it did bother him to think another warrior was going around talking about it. Talking about him.