The midnight black she-cat silently entered the cavern, her one ice blue eye scanning the environment like it always does and her blind eye, completely black in color, copied it's movements. Raveneye's hyper vigilance only made her that more observant and quickly she spotted Flamingstar waiting patiently. The young warrior made her way over to the leader and she bowed her head respectfully. "Hello Flamingstar." Raveneye said, taking a seat and gently curling her tail over her paws. She was unsure of why the leader asked her here, but she would withhold her questions until she was given more information.

Flamingstar eyes all three of her candidates with narrowed eyes, none of them expecting that she was considering making either of them her deputy. She wanted to see if they were worthy and responsible enough to be her deputy and take over Nightclan when she couldn't no longer. All three of them were strong warriors and had great promise, standing out over the rest of the clan. She was pleased that they had followed her orders and met her here without any further argument. Her cold eyes fell on Dragondance specifically as he approached the group late and apologetically. "Don't let it happen again." She mewed, asserting her dominance with sternness. She appreciated that he at least apologized but for something as important as this, he should have been on time.

"Now, I've called you all here for a specific task" she went on, scanning the three candidates. "Three cats have deserted Nightclan which simply won't do. I need you to find them and bring them back to me, alive. I do not care what method you have to use to capture them, I just need them back. Those who succeed will be rewarded."

"Rustedtrust, Fadingmist, and Leaflight. They are siblings. In case you don't know, Rustedtrust is a rusty brown tom with darker brown stripes and miss green eyes. Fadedmist is a brown tabby with white paws and blue eyes. Leafflight is a brown tabby with a white belly and paws and green eyes." Flamingstar explained, though they should already know what Ruatedtrust, Fadingmist, and Leafflight should look like. They were their clan mates but, if her candidates succeed, will eventually be prisoners. "Find them and bring them to me."

It would've taken an emotionally defunct feline not to sense the disappointment and aggravation in the leader's stance. Despite her dismissive words, he understood that without his intention he had failed a test he didn't realize he was taking. His heart clenched and he bowed his head, listening silently to the debriefing relayed to the group. Jaw clenched, he willed his heart to slow its thundering beat; there were many paths laid ahead of him, some that led to glory, others that led to a different destiny, one that while he believed wasn't meant for him may yield in far more golden results. At the mention of their true mission: to hunt down a trio of deserters, his perspective on the situation was shifted on its axis.

This wasn't a meager hunting party with the intent to bring back sustenance. This was a prey of a different kind and one that didn't settle well with him. He had experience before in proving his worth to those whose opinions shouldn't have mattered; this was both a similar situation and wildly different. He had come to this clan a prisoner, an intruder that not only trespassed on their territory but hailed from a clan who was opposite of them in every way. He believed they'd be different. Koilagoon had given him hope for a new life in the dark. Away from the prying and hateful eyes of his former clan, the god they once hailed, and his father who stood over him with sadistic glee... Now he was seeing similarities that set his teeth on edge and his hackles rising.

He had committed atrocious acts in the name of those he believed held power over him. He couldn't, and wouldn't, stoop so low again. But could he risk the one thing that had brightened his life in so long? The white and black she-cat that held his heart was everything to him, and while he knew if he asked she would come with him no matter what fate may bring, he wouldn't dare act so selfishly. She had found a home and a sanctuary away from her own version of hellacious events. Was his own pride and morality worth risking not only his own life, but hers as well? All the same, would she forgive him for acting in a way he had promised himself he never would? He was at a crossroads, and yet in the time it took for him to experience revelation after revelation, only a few short moments had passed.

"I need you to find them and bring them back to me, alive. I do not care what method you have to use to capture them, I just need them back."

If he closed his eyes and let his focus drift, he could hear her voice meld with the powerful timbre of one he had tried so valiantly to forget. He was everything his father wasn't; sensitive, caring, compassionate, understanding. Above all else, he was merciful, willing to talk things through first before bringing out claw and fang. His father had considered him weak, unable to protect his clan or his family. He had failed his father. What he had been raised to see as weakness, however, he had learned through Koilagoon was genuine strength. A strength that far surpassed physicality and influenced character. As though he had been struck by lightning, he listened to every seemingly drawn out word, maintaining his breathing and heart rate the best he could.

Glancing out of the corner of a fiery eye, he saw the black she-cat he knew as Raveneye curl her lip in disgust. He didn't need to look very deep to see what she was thinking. It made his stomach clench and twist, the sadism of the action in itself giving him nausea. He had known from a young age he didn't have what it took to revel in the hunt as much as his clanmates had; evidently, the traditions of SunClan were passed on to the cats of the night.

In his right peripherals, movement was what caught his eye; glancing upward, he frowned at the clenching and unclenching of the she-cat's claws in the dirt. If Raveneye's distaste was a terrible realization, Magnoliashadow's eager stance was enough to send a spear of ice through his heart. This wasn't just a hunt, it was a game. He closed his eyes again, unable to face the harsh reality that was the group of she-cats he was surrounded by.

"Rustedtrust, Fadingmist, and Leaflight. They are siblings."

Fiery eyes snapped open. If he had been taught anything by the dysfunctionality of the clan and family he hailed from, it was that family was everything and not to be treated like a group of pawns to be played and broken. He clenched his jaw. What was the purpose of asking for names and relations? It only gave them personalities, histories, likes and dislikes. It gave them lives and love and everything that made them no longer prey but living beings. And still they considered this to be sport? Only now, he flexed his claws and dug them deep into the earth, deep enough that he hoped the pain would distract him from the sensation of wanting to scream and rend flesh from bone. He was here for a mission. NightClan was meant to be his sanctuary. NightClan was the home of his love. NightClan was where he would see his dreams come true.

If he lived long enough. He had to play the game, just as the others were more than willing to do. He wouldn't have to like it. He wouldn't have to agree with it. But if he wanted to see success, and the next twilight, he'd have to allow himself to be flexible. It didn't have to be bloodshed that was spilt. He would find another way.

"When shall we begin with our task?"

Dragondance slowly lifted his head to make eye contact with the leader who stood in front of them. More than likely she was measuring each of their reactions, gauging their strength, attempting to predict who would come out on top. It was a sport, he reminded himself. There was always a winner. He popped his jaw with the effort to disengage the clenching of his teeth. If he wasn't a winner, he certainly wouldn't be a loser, not in his book. They'd be hunting for prey; he'd be hunting for salvation. If he could get to the siblings first, find a shortcut. Koilagoon and he had been on plenty of walks through the woods to have some time to themselves. He was sure he could remember the best routes to take. He was a decent tracker, enough to have evaded his father for as long as he had. He wasn't going to let himself lose. He straightened his stance and flexed the muscles in his legs.

Game on.

As the trio of candidates were dismissed by Flamingstar and made their way to the camp exit. A silver she cat, blazing ice white in the light of the moon that filtered in from the cenote above, stepped out in front of them.

Frozenfire, the captain of the loyal guard, narrowed her ice blue eyes at the group.

"So you're the ones Flamingstar's sending out after our deserters." Frozenfire chuckled. "I hope your claws are sharp," The captain stated. "Flamingstar has high expectations, and the only deserter there should be is a dead one," She drawled. "One that can't breathe NightClan's secrets or waste space among our ranks." She looked at each of them.

Then she straightened up. "Happy hunting, if you're fast you should be able to catch them before their trails go cold." She meowed.

Observing Flamingstar as she turned her back and returned into the shroud of black the cavern offered, the tabby's eyes narrowed in consideration. He would have expected her to be awaiting their return, eager for the results. Instead, it wasn't only a dismissive gesture, but one that gave him a great sense of apprehension. She had said before she wanted them returned to her. She needed them returned to her. It was a statement of possession that was swirling around in his head, stirring up more questions than he had answers. He couldn't imagine a leader being so proprietorial over their clanmates. Unless... There was a connection he wasn't aware of. She wanted them alive, that was stressed quite plainly. The sensation of something being at work he couldn't quite see left him with more than a feeling of unease twisting in his heart.

Halting quietly behind the other two at the approach of Frozenfire, he observed the she-cat's nonchalant posture and near smug aura. It made absolutely no sense for them to be interrupted by the captain of the guard just mere moments after the leader had dismissed them to their hunt.

"So you're the ones Flamingstar's sending out after our deserters. I hope your claws are sharp."

A sudden curiosity struck him as though it were a blow to the head: Why, out of all of the warriors and the elite that Flamingstar prized so dearly, were the three of them being sent out after these so called deserters? Were not the loyal guard considered the peacekeepers of the clan, the ones who kept watch over those who dared defy or betray them? These deserters most obviously would be returned to the camp as prisoners. Did that not mean this mission was theirs to oversee and complete? This was another test of some sort, whether it be about their loyalty, worth, or blind obedient mentality he wasn't sure. What he did know was that she was taking up ample time. Every second she wasted basking in their attention was another second the siblings trail went cold. If he had any hope of seeing them meet a fate that wouldn't end in heartache, he needed to get past her dawdling being and begin his hunt.

"Flamingstar has high expectations, and the only deserter there should be is a dead one."

Dragondance stopped. There were two things wrong with that sentence. One, the note of the leader's expectations were random in itself. To move from being arrogantly amused at their lack of promise to hinting at something not even Flamingstar had made mention of in her debriefing was enough to give anyone pause. Granted, he didn't doubt there'd be consequences if they failed in this mission. But was this a competition between the three of them or were they working as a party? He had approached this situation assuming that they were being sent out as a patrol. Three against three seemed like equal odds, but if he was picking up what Frozenfire was putting down, there was something more to the mission that no one was directly mentioning. The second issue happened to be her slip. The only deserter there should be is a dead one? It directly contradicted the leader's order that the deserters be returned to her alive. Granted, it could just be the guard leader's attempt at riling them up, testing where their loyalty lay: in the orders of their leader or the supposed sage words of the guard. All the same, it didn't feel like a general contradiction just to be challenging.

This was another evaluation. No one knew what the right path would be; that was left up to each individual's moral compass. But Dragon knew, deep in his heart, what his own correct path would be. Whether or not that was aligned with the expectations of Flamingstar and Frozenfire was another matter all together, but Dragondance found he wasn't particularly bothered with the idea of failing either one of them. He had lived under a tyrannical rule long enough to learn that in the end, only his own mental well-being was worth the consequences of whatever action he took. He doubted they would accept his mindset, but being exiled or taken prisoner for being who he was wouldn't dishonor his spirit. Taking part in a situation that would blacken his soul, however, would.

"One that can't breathe NightClan's secrets or waste space among our ranks."

At this point, the tabby wasn't listening. He knew a monologue when he heard the start of one; tuning them out was a power he quickly learned to possess. He recognized her technique, however. She was wasting time for a reason. She wanted the trails to grow colder. She wanted this to be a true challenge, another level to this twisted game they all seemed more than eager to participate in. He dug his claws into the earth, the wind from the aboveground ruffling his feathered fur and cooling his heated skin. He didn't like Frozenfire; then again, he was quickly discovering he didn't like most of the she-cats he was meeting at rapid fire in this night. The sooner he got this over with, the sooner he'd be back with Koilagoon.

At Raveneye's quiet leave of the group, Dragondance had his answer. She hadn't directed them, asked for their input, or offered any constructive assistance. This wasn't a hunting party. This was player versus player. He had no need to remain behind and assist where he could. He wasn't a follower, he never had been. Scenting and tasting the air, he picked up on the trail of siblings, though it was growing fainter the longer time went on. Bracing himself, he leaped forward, flying through the night with his mouth open, the scents of the world around him invading his senses and creating a seemingly colored trail in front of him, leading him toward his prey. He would find them and he would end this mockery of a night.

His chest ached. There was a stitch in his side. His paws were screaming and his muscles burned, but he pushed forward. Adrenaline was a powerful motivator. So was desperation. The scent growing thicker the farther he went, he pushed himself to unleash a further burst of speed, willing his body to absorb the impact of his foot falls and race against time. He still had to keep his other senses alert of the others; the last thing he wanted was to be blindsided by either one of them. Not when he was so close. Hearing a sickening crunch, his stomach twisted and he winced, charging forward. He was close. In the back of his mind, he wondered if at this velocity he wasn't accomplishing exactly what the others had wanted: making that which he tracked feel more like prey than anything. He prayed they'd listen, whoever they may be. He could identify they were alone; his thoughts drifted to where the others may be. He sent out a silent prayer to whatever deity may be listening that the other siblings were safe. No matter what crime they had committed, no one deserved to be made to feel like anything less than a being on this earth.

Grunting, he launched himself out of a thicket of bushes that shielded his vision, seeing the tail end of a cat he didn't recognize. He had yet to get to know everyone in the clan; in many ways, he was still an outsider. That didn't matter now, though. He grit his teeth. He hadn't spoken in so long... His throat felt as though it were sandpaper, roughly scrubbing away at his vocal cords.

"Wait!" He called, glancing to his sides. He looked back at the feline that was disappearing quickly from view. It would be up to the one he chased whether or not they would heed his request, if they had even heard him. He was running out of time. He'd only have one more chance.

Leafflight had run for the river, with the trees still a bit thinned from the fire ages ago the dark brown tabby she cat pushed herself to keep going. Her ears swiveled back as she heard her brother Rustedtrust yelp, and she slackened her pace double glancing back before she let out an aggravated growl and turned back running towards her brother. She could scent the stench of other cats hard on his paws.

"Come on you mousehearts!" She shouted at the sound in the distance. "If you want to go chasing foxes, go right ahead! But we're getting away you fools! hahaha!" She added with a laugh for effect, hoping to goad them into ignoring her brother and coming after her instead.

Raveneye faintly heard the call of a female voice behind her but her sole attention was on the fallen tom in front of her. She slowly padded forward, blocking his route of escape. Her ice blue eye fixed on him with a hard stare. This was it. Either he would come back peacefully or he would be dragged back by Raveneye’s teeth. Her gaze moved down to his injured paw. He was in no condition to put up a fight. Hopefully her words would be enough for Ruatedtrust.

“Hello Ruatedtrust. My name is Raveneye.” Her voice was soft and non-threatening. “I’m sorry for slamming into you. I did not believe you would have stopped otherwise. I need you to accompany me back to Nightclan. Your paw seems to be hurt terribly and I would like for our Medicine Cat to take a look it.”