Poisoned Fangs, Scenes 43-46:

## Snakeclan POV

### Summary: (none for now)

A dark cream she cat stretched her legs and wandered around camp. Every cat has been anxious and uneasy ever since the gathering. She hopped over to the fresh kill pile and grabbed a mouse, then pranced over to Frogdust, who was laying in her nest, fidgeting her paws. Snappoppy laid the mouse in front of her. She shook out her fur, “you seem very distressed Frogdust, you should take some time to put yourself at ease and forget about what happened last night at the gathering,” she purred, trying to enlighten the she-cat to the best of her abilities.

Frogdust let out a sigh and shuffled. "It's hard to stop worrying... With that killer on the loose and Hopepaw and Maplepaw outside the nursery, I can't protect them..."

“Well our kits are strong little ones, I think they’ll be fine,” Snappoppy mewed. “You also did a great good mentoring weasealscar, I’m surprised you were able to put up with that attitude of hers for a long time,” she chuckled

Frogdust smiled a little. "I suppose that you're right." She nuzzled Snappoppy with a purr. "But I don't think I'll ever stop worrying about them. I'm probably going to hold onto Snailkit and Toadkit longer than I should." She purred

Snappoppy smiled and groomed Frogdust’s fur. Being able to be with Frodust during the middle of Leaf-Bare was the only thing Snappoppy could wish for.

Weaselscar blinked open her eyes, which were heavy from lack of sleep. She wished she could sleep for moons, just sleep away everything she felt. After the interaction with her mother and then the gatherings chaos, Weaselscar wished nothing more than to get a blink of sleep. She stood up and stretched her tired muscles before leaving the warriors den. Everything feels so cold without Marshstep. Our nests were together in the apprentices den but now that they were injured I have never felt so alone... She padded over to the medicine den and entered. The least that I can do is explain what happened

Tumbleflight turned at the sound of some cat walking into his den "what do you wa-" he passed looking bat Weaselscar "you've got some nerve coming back around here" he kept a relatively non hostile tone

Weaselscar blinked looking too exhausted to argue with him. “I just want to explain what in Starclan happened with my mother. Don’t take that mouse dung with me”

Maplepaw looked at Tumbleflight for a minute and sighed. “I- uhh okay, Tumbleflight...” she padded out of the den, staring back nervously. Weaselscar sighed and closed her eyes. “Okay so we know that my mother is a murderer, so this shouldn’t come off as a surprise. She killed my umm- best friend I guess, or - whatever that doesn’t matter right now.” She choked a little. “S-she told me that she killed her because she was breaking the code, breaking what Starclan intended... No cats who have mates of the same gender will go unpunished, as Starclan sent her down as their “rule maker”... That’s what she told me after she killed her...” Weaselscar sunk her claws into the dirt, trying to hold back tears. “And she said she’d have to punish me too... But she didn’t want to kill her daughter... she told me that she loves me and it’s just doing what’s best for me... So she told me to spread her message or there would be big consequences... She said that if I stepped out of line, she would kill my father, my sister, Marshstep and everyone I’ve ever loved or cared about.” Tears began to flow down her face. “She said that she’d make me watch as she killed everyone I loved, because that’s what creatures like me deserve... and she said that if I continued to disobey, she’d kill me and make my brother her successor...” She began to tremble. “I didn’t believe that she could do it, when Chivetail killed her, but she showed up every time I slept. She warned me every night, and when i forced myself to stop sleeping, she showed up in my waking world... She won’t leave me alone and she’ll kill Mantis if I do anything to stop it...”

Tumbleflight stared frozen he couldn't believe it "I umm....." He sighed "my situation isn't exactly the same but I know how it feels to have a member of your kin be horrible" he paused "you've probably heard stories about a warrior named Wolfsnout correct?"

Weaselscar huffed, tears flowing from her eyes. “Now you’re talking about nursery tales? You’re kin? Doesn’t this mean anything to you? What is wrong-“ she stopped herself and shook herself a bit. “Yeah I guess I have.”

Tumbleflight passed "well.... wolfsnout....." He turned away "wolfsnout is my father....." He looked back at her 'i understand how you feel"

Weaselscar turned her head. “I’m sorry...? I don’t know how to respond to these stupid conversations.” She rubbed her eyes with her paw and sighed. “Atleast I doubt he’s showing up while you’re trying to talk to your friend and some ugly brat doesn’t yell at you for 7 moons...” she muttered

"wolfsnout has his own ways...." Tumbleflight thought silverclaw's story is oddly similar to Beetlescar's he paused "I haven't seen him directly but I can feel him watching...no one knows where he went for all I know he could be alive.." Tumbleflight looked at her "just remember you have your father... wolfsnout took the closest thing I had to a parent.... gingerpelt wasn't the best but I can't blame her..."

Weaselscar growled. “I might not even have a father for very long! I won’t have any kin besides my mother!”

"there's no reason to get mad at me for it!" He stood up "Evey time I try to sympathize with someone they shut me out!" He hissed "Wolfsnout and Gingerpelt are gone from my life and Dustwater barely talks to me, I bet you didn't even know he was my brother huh?"

Mantis is just chilling with his bf and is suddenly like: “I for some reason have an instinct that my crazy ghost exwife is plotting my death...”

Weaselscar snarled. “Hush you ungrateful pile of dung! You have a future! You’re a medicine cat! I’m probably not gonna live long enough to achieve anything! My mother is a dead murderer who wants to kill me, my brother is no smarter than a log, my sister ran away and I haven’t seen her since I was a kit, and my father isn’t around and decided that he’d rather live with his weird cave mate than be a part of my life!” Weaselscar sat down and sighed. “Neither of us have it easy, I’m just scared. And being scared is being weak. And I can’t afford to be weak.”

Tumbleflight looked at her "being scared doesn't mean you're weak" he snapped "do you know how many cats out there are scared of what's going to happen?" "Do you see them feeling sorry for themselves?" I don't sit around and whine about my past "I've moved on if I were to meet Wolfsnout now I would stand up for myself" he looked at her "it's your choice if you want to free yourself....take charge of your life" he turned to leave "I'm guessing you came to speak with Marshstep" he turned and left the den

Weaselscar let out a growl as she watched him leave. If you can move on from Wolfsnout so easily, he isn’t an issue. If you can walk away and forget, you should never compare yourself to me and what I’ve gone through. Just because you’re living in sunshine doesn’t mean  the storm is over for me.

Marshstep rolled over in his nest "Weaselscar?" He asked still half asleep

Weaselscar jumped a bit, flinching. She turned to look at him. “O-oh you’re awake!” I hope they didn’t hear about Beetlescar... it’s best for him not to know that his life is threatened by some dead monster... She smiled a bit. “I’m glad you’re awake. Are you hungry?”

"no....do you need anything?" He asked and tried to sit up. "Ow" he layed back down and looked over at his recently broken leg

Weaselscar blinked at him with sympathy. “You don’t need to get me anything I’m fine. Just stay still I don’t want your leg getting worse.” She sat down beside him, sadness in her eyes. “Take it easy. If there’s anything you need I’m here.” She cringed at herself as she spoke. Is it even safe to talk to him? I can’t help but worry about him.

Marshstep looked at her "oh don't start the sympathy I've heard that enough from Lilytail.... I'm not hopeless ya know I'm still a warrior" he looked down "atleast I hope I am....."

Weaselscar’s ears flicked. “Of course you are! You are a warrior!” She knew that deep down she said it to convince herself more than to convince Marshstep. I know you are. I think about it every day. You are a warrior. She scoffed. “Then if you don’t want sympathy, do you want criticism? Aggression? Because I’ve got plenty of that.”

"no.... it's just how can I be a warrior?......look at my leg I can't even move it anymore.....it's impossible" Marshstep looked back up at Weaselscar "I'll never be a warrior....I'm broken"

Weaselscar scowled. “So you picked criticism? Fine.” She let out an angry snort. “Well first off, it’s all that moping and whining. You can’t improve yourself if all you do is lay around and whine! Make an effort and you might see a change!” You have to stay strong Marshstep... for both of us... Be stronger than I was..

"how can I improve myself if I can't even stand?" "Do you know how hard it is to do  anything without standing?" He demanded "I'm useless to the clan now I'm better off gone"

Weaselscar sighed. “This is what I’m talking about. Do you know why you can’t stand? Because you don’t try to stand. You can’t catch prey if you don’t leave camp to find prey. You’re not a kit anymore.”

"You think I don't know this?" They almost hissed "how can I even try to stand my leg is broken!" "It's not going to fix itself over night......" He looked down..."I don't even know why you try it's obvious you hate me......"

Weaselscar blinked at him. “I don’t hate you. I’m helping you you mousebrain. You can’t only stick your paws in the water forever.” She brushed back his head fur with her paw. “If I hated you I wouldn’t even talk to you. If I hated you I wouldn’t try to help you.”

"you really don't remember do you?" They asked ".....I heard you....we all did......when you were an apprentice..why you said Sandfoot died....." He replied "starclan hates me apparently...."

Weaselscar’s heart dropped. Her voice stuck in her throat. He hasn’t given me a choice, has he? I have to tell the truth. “I-I don’t believe a mew of the things I said that day... I didn’t have a choice.”

Marshstep looked at her "then why? Why would you say something like that?" He looked at her "why would you lie? Why would I be punished by starclan then if you didn't speak the truth?"

“Because my mother said she’d kill you if I didn’t!” Weaselscar spat. “There? Are you happy?”

"........I-........." He didn't know how to respond......"h...how?.....I thought she wasn't here anymore........." He looked down he couldn't meet her eyes "how come I've been punished then?" They looked at their leg...."why?"

Weaselscar’s claws sunk into the ground. “It’s my fault! It’s my fault that you’re hurt and it’s my fault that everyone in the clan hates me! I was too weak to not be used and thrown away like old bedding! I just wanted my family to be safe! I didn’t want you to get hurt! I didn’t want Mantis to leave! I didn’t want to make Frogdust cry! I didn’t want to be so useless! But Beetlescar didn’t give me a choice.” She wiped her face with her paw. “I never get a choice. She takes what she wants and then leaves everything else to rot. And that’s going to happen to me. She’d do anything to make my live worse than the dark forest! She’d do anything to make me suffer! Because I sinned! She should’ve killed me and left everyone alone but she didn’t! Because I sinned!”

He looked at her..........."you're not useless........and if you are..... you're not alone......I'm even more useless...that is if you are useless which I doubt"

Weaselscar was taken aback a bit. “You aren’t useless.” She looked at him with sad copper eyes. “Or atleast you’re not as useless as me. Regardless, I still really care about you. No matter if you’re leg is broken I still care about you and I’ll make sure that it doesn’t stay that way.”