Ask to Join Three's a Crowd

Like the sun, I may burn fiercely, but it's my fire that warms those I hold dear.

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Sunbear grunted low in her throat, her thick-furred shoulders shifting as she padded alongside Barleyswipe, her sharp hazel gaze flicked toward the flowers with an unsurprising lack of enthusiasm. "Hmph. If they're wilted, I'm crushing 'em into the dirt" she muttered, tone dry as the wind that rushed through the plateau. She bent down stiffly to nose one of the yellow blooms with practiced care, her breath huffing through her nose. "These look like they've been baked in the sun too long to me." she noted, twitching the tip of her dark tail.

She straightened with a crackle of her joints and flicked her ears at the mention of the new apprentice. "I may not be her dame but I'd wager Heatherpaw'll like it no matter what. Don't act like you aren't too soft on her." The faintest twitch of a smirk ghosted across her face, but it was gone before it could really settle. "You're probably fooling yourself if you think any of these are going to impress a half-grown furballs anyway"

Her eyes scanned the field again, brow furrowing. She had no intention of offending anyone, just trying to share her opinion, and the feigning smirk gave away her teasing intent. "If you want something proper, we'll need to move closer to the slope. Basilflame used to find good marigold there when she was an apprentice, sharp eye on her. Got more sense than I did at that age I'll tell you that" she added, her voice wasn't flat, but wasn't as readable as she would have liked it to be.

Sunbear then turned towards Brightmaple without missing a beat, ears perked and her head tilted with a light amusement at the mostly red she-cat. "Well? You coming, or you are you planning to wait until your paws root to the ground?"

If ignorance is bliss, you must be the happiest cat on the planet
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Barleyswipe grumbled under her breath, muttering something inaudible about bees, and apprentices. Her leg still throbbed from the sting, though the walk and warmth were helping loosen her joints a little. Not that she’d admit that to anyone - least of all Sunbear.

She shot a sideways glance at the darker she-cat, ears flicking dismissively. "Some of us still know what a good gesture means, even if it ain’t perfect." The jab was pointed, but her voice remained light, threaded with that cranky elder tone she wore like a second pelt.

Then her gaze softened slightly as she looked back toward Brightmaple, who was now firmly planted in the sunlit grass, clearly having none of it. "You’ve got the right idea, Brightmaple. StarClan knows it’s too nice out to be chasin’ flowers like we’re a bunch of queens in a nursery game...but I should rub my leg with some, at least." She gave a grunt. "And you’re right... she’d probably like a sprig of heather even more than marigold. I'll join you soon..."

She stole a few steps towards the slope, scanning their surroundings until she spotted something farther away. But it was promising.

Like the sun, I may burn fiercely, but it's my fire that warms those I hold dear.

━✦━✶━✺━☀️━✺━✶━✦━

The pair's pointed words weren't lost on Sunbear, but she had little reaction to them, little reaction anymore for the most part. If the same comments had been made about 40 moons ago, she would have stomped away with a little growl if the cats had really struck her. But now, the words rolled off her back like rainwater.

"I wasn't the one that said 'we better help you pick out one that ain't half wilted' but you both have made your points" Sunbear replied, acknowleging both of them with a nod. He tone was not as pointed as the other two, and it held nothing but her usual stoic nature, it wasn't easy to break the shell that Sunbear had so meticulously build around herself after all.

Sunbear flicked an ear but said no more on the topic of the flowers, letting herself fall into a stretch where she felt a few of the joints in her back popping, which caused some relief at least, released tension in her back, it was good to have a walk out like this every once in a while, even if it did feel like she was walking with two sides of the same cat. "If we don't find any for the sting you can just head to Rowanglade's den" she added finally, her tone unchanging. "Best sooner than later I suppose."

She didn't drift too far from Brightmaple, but kept herself in time with Barleyswipe, taking note of where she was looking and raised a brow "You've found something?"  

If ignorance is bliss, you must be the happiest cat on the planet
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Barleyswipe snorted, a wheezing little sound as she turned her head just enough to glance at Sunbear with a narrowed eye. Barleyswipe’s interest in what Sunbear thought was paper thin at best. The other elder’s flat, unreadable tone rubbed her the wrong way more often than not, and truth be told, Barleyswipe didn’t much trust cats who never let their fur get ruffled. Not even a little.

Instead, she pressed on a few more paces, shoulders stiff, gaze combing the patchy hillside where a few stubborn plants clung to life. Her ears twitched when Brightmaple spoke up, and this time her expression softened again, the corner of her mouth quirking. "A price, huh?" She rasped, tail tip flicking with amusement. "Sharin' tongues later sound good to you? Pair it with a plump shrew or two...got a meal and a deal."

She chuffed, then nodded toward a small burst of color just past a clump of scrubgrass. "Looks like there’s a marigold or two over that rise. Not much, but better facing Rowanglade for such a trifle." She squinted at the slope. "Might be I can reach it without bustin’ a hip." It would have been nicer if Brightmaple was feeling up to it, and the ragged old she-cat gave her the most encouraging glare she could muster.

Like the sun, I may burn fiercely, but it's my fire that warms those I hold dear.

━✦━✶━✺━☀️━✺━✶━✦━

Sunbear stayed quiet as the two elders spoke, the two seemed as thick as thieves and with Sunbear, she seemed to stick out like a sore paw compared to the two, mostly in personality but the was much more scarred than the other two. There was always a wall, but that wall seemed to be sturdy enough to stay build no matter what Sunbear did.

So she decided it wasn't worth the effort and didn't try to argue with the words of the pair. Instead, she glanced up the slope, it was not a big slope, smaller than Basilflame had described it as an apprentice anyway. Sunbear's mood hadn't really changed from when she had come out with the elders originally, aside from the occasional wondering of why they had invited her that is. 

Following Barleyswipe lead to Sunbear peeking a sight of the flowers Barleyswipe had spotted, but whatever she said seemed to make these two irate as it was, so what was the point? With a soft 'huff' sound, Sunbear lay herself in the grass, it was damp, slightly damp, but not enough to make her fur uncomfortably wet, nothing a few calming licks wouldn't fix.

If ignorance is bliss, you must be the happiest cat on the planet
✧ ⭒ ♦ ⭒ ❦ ⭒ ♦ ⭒ ✧

Barleyswipe let out a raspy chuckle, more air than sound, as Brightmaple relented. "Knew your heart was too soft to let an old crone crumble down a hill..." She said, giving her friend a grateful, if crooked, smile. Her joints still ached, but not quite as bad with Brightmaple beside her and not just because the younger elder was willing to do the climbing.

When Brightmaple swatted at Sunbear, Barleyswipe didn’t hide her amusement. "Care to join us to see who can trollup up the hill?" She stepped aside to give them a clearer path up the slope, tail flicking behind her as she gestured loosely to the gold flecked patch. Just up a slight twist of roots. It might not be much, but it was a goal. She started off slowly, exhaling every so often as the slope increased.

Then, after a beat, she added, quieter and with a fond grumble. "Maybe I’ll sneak you some rabbit fur for your nest after all." Another step or two and she was making progress. How amusing this could have seemed to onlookers - a gaggle of elders making what the day takes them.

Like the sun, I may burn fiercely, but it's my fire that warms those I hold dear.

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Sunbear let out a quiet sigh through her nose, more air than sound, eyes flicking toward the slope Barleyswipe had cleared the path towards. It wasn't steep, not really, but it was enough to make her paws ache just thinking about it. She didn't bother swatting back at Brightmaple, what was the point? The teasing rolled off of her back like rainwater falling off of smooth stones.

She rose again with a low stretch, joints popping in protest and gave a small grunt of acknowledgment, after all, what else was there to do? "Fine" she muttered, more to the hill than anyone else. Her voice was low, flat, but undeniably Sunbear. No need to argue when they'd already made up their minds and she didn't feel like fussing over petty arguments anyway.

She padded forward without any fuss, casting a glance up towards the marigold patch. Just a little further. Sunbear didn't say more, words would help her aching bones or make the herbs grow faster. But she was there, steady as ever and as quiet and sturdy as a stone.