Tenebrousrequiem padded towards the leaders den, wariness clear in his gaze.

The high priestess had offered no reason for this sudden meeting, just that she wanted to see him at her den. So he'd gone to her den after returning from hunting.

He wasn't sure why she wanted to see him, though he could probably guess it had less to do with him and more to do with Ferventprayer.

But he'd let Littlestar explain herself, though if she was hoping to convince him to urge Ferventprayer to accept her parents he didn't feel comfortable with that.

The only time he'd involve himself with Ferventprayer's relations was to try and urge her away from Bloodycrow. He'd never forgive the tom for how he hit Ferventprayer, and how he made her cry after having to deal with her sister not only dying but coming back from the dead. Cementing that Ferventprayer blamed herself.

He hoped Littlestar was above trying to use him to sway Ferventprayer, but he'd see. At the very least she'd been good about keeping her distance, so he'd have to see what she had to say.

"You asked to speak with me Littlestar?" Tenebrousrequiem called from the entrance waiting to be granted entry.

Tenebrousrequiem's eyes narrowed when Littlestar mentioned Ferventprayer was pregnant, trying to figure out where this was going but immediately on guard with the mention of Ferventprayer and their future children.

Some of the tension eased when Littlestar went on to mention proper care.

"Resilientbloom has been helping where she can, but we've been seeking guidance and aid from Mountainsound, we both know she is a trustworthy, wise, and experienced cat in the art of healing and in rearing kits. She is the one we would want by our side." Tenebrousrequiem said immediately. "Along with Resilientbloom being freed up perhaps by her duties to assist if need be."

Perhaps mentioning that one of her family was caring for Ferventprayer would ease Littlestar's worries... he did recall Fatekit had suffered an accident recently. He wondered if it had put Littlestar on edge and now she was desperate to keep a closer eye on even her older kits.

The one thing for certain was that Ferventprayer did not want Littlestar around.

But then what Littlestar mentioned about difficult kittings sunk in.

And he felt unease stir in his heart.

He was a large cat. His mother Frozenfire had been rather lithe but she stood bigger than Littlestar. It was likely that Tenebrousrequiem may have inherited his size from his father, whoever he was.

But what if their kits were big?

Too big for Ferventprayer to carry safely?

Unease prickled his pelt.

"Were there other cats who assisted with your families kitting?" Tenebrousrequiem asked slowly. Trying to remember who, if anyone had assisted Jetfire. He knew someone had gotten thrown out supposedly for 'poisoning' her and likely had been helping instead, but the name escaped him.

The image of Bloodycrow assisting Jetfire came to mind and Tenebrousrequiem banished the thought angrily. Even if he had experience dealing with this family's difficult kittings he could burn in the depths of lava for all Tenebrousrequiem cared.

"I trust Mountainsound with my life," Tenebrousrequiem said softly. "And I know she will help me ensure Ferventprayer gets through this."

He paused scuffing at the ground ears lowering and averting his gaze when she talked about wanting Ferventprayer to extend the offer.

"I won't make any promises, I know what it's like when someone you care about manipulates you for someone else." Tenebrousrequiem said lifting his head eyes narrowing as he thought of his brothers always goading him back to Frozenfire or vice versa.

'you'll keep in touch with your brothers won't you dear? For your dear mother's sake?' Frozenfire had hissed into his ears. 'After you've gone and become a champion like you were denied.'

He shuddered at the memory of the gleam in his siblings eyes when he'd glanced at either side of them before lifting his own chin in agreement. Accepting every one of her teachings. That they were denied, and they deserved good things and how to thus take them.

How to hurt cats.

And now he was stuck without an enemy to fight, for his claws were useless in fighting off the image Bloodycrow had implanted in Ferventprayers head.

Tenebrousrequiem grit his teeth and his ears flattened.

"If you loved her so much then why did it take so long to save her?" He growled turning away digging his claws into the ground. "Why did you give Bloodycrow a second chance?! You removed him once why'd you let him back in! Why didn't you realize-!"

His claws scraped against the stone.

"She's so afraid she's not going to be a good mother! All because of the lies that filthy mongrel filled in her head while putting on the facade of being a father!" Tenebrousrequiem snarled, fury boiling over at the enemy he couldn't face.

"I love her and I'm blessed she lets me by her side, but I have to sit helplessly while I know nothing about how to help her!"

Angry tears pricked his eyes as he turned away.

"I should've fought harder to kill Bloodycrow! But she wouldn't want that, because she thinks of that piece of Fox Dung as father still!"

"The day she stops seeing him as father will be the day I rejoice, because the longer he holds that position in her heart, in her head the more the wounds he left her continue to weep. Bleeding her heart out day by day."

Drips of water splattered the ground as Tenebrousrequiem sat down heavily.

"And I don't have the ability to heal, I was only taught how to hurt." He said hoarsely looking at the claw marks he left on the ground through furious watery eyes. "But I want her to be happy it kills me to see her in such pain."

"So if you love her... tell me how to rip that fox dung from her life. How I can cure the poison he injected into her heart!" He demanded lifting his gaze to look towards Littlestar.