Private Thread The Brave Bird Sings

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished
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Bravesong had been dozing, stretched out. His body ached like it always did but the warmth helped, and he let himself enjoy the quiet of the morning. That is, until he caught a familiar scent lingering at the entrance.

His good eye cracked open, and through the dimness, he spotted a small, hesitant shape. Robinkit. The sight of her brought a flicker of amusement to his tired features. She wasn’t barging in like some kits tended to - no, she was waiting. Patient and thoughtful. That was something he appreciated.

With a soft grunt, he shifted, lifting his head. "Are you planning to sit there all day, little one?" He rasped, his voice rough with sleep but touched with warmth. His gaze drifted to the petals she held, a glint of curiosity lighting up his eye. "And what’s this you’ve got there?"

I may be small, but I’m braver than I look.

✦･ﾟ: *✦･ﾟ:* 🐦 *:･ﾟ✦*:･ﾟ✦

Robinkit's gaze was alerted quickly to Bravesong when he spoke and her unfolded ear twitched in acknowledgement, after all, she didn't want to lose any of the petals that were meant for Bravesong as a gift by talking them all away. The little caliby kit shook her head at his question and waddled into the elders' being careful and hesitant with her steps as she didn't want to tread on any paws or tails while making her way to the one-eyed elder.

Her paws brought Robinkit to just in front of Bravesong's face, the small kit stopped herself with halt just before she could have bumped into Bravesong and then placed the unique yellow petals in front of the bicolor tom. "They're a gift for you" Robinkit answered, sitting dutifully in front of the elder. She had to keep an appearance of bravery, even if on the inside she wasn't as brave as she tried to make herself look.

"I really hope you like em, they match your eyes... eye" she corrected herself shyly and dipped her head as a brief apology as she adjusted her posture. "Do you have time for a story Bravesong? I've wanted one for a little while and Wildcry is still pretty cross with me" she added her voice still somewhat shaken with the timidness that she developed from her dame's behavior, oh how she wished she could just overcome this overnight.

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished
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Bravesong’s expression softened as Robinkit carefully placed the petals before him. He studied them for a moment, their golden hue standing out against the dimness of the den. A deep appreciative rumble left his throat as he reached forward to brush them lightly with his nose.

"They’re lovely..." He meowed, his voice warm. "And I think they suit me just fine." His good eye flicked back to her, watching as she sat before him with a brave little posture that didn’t quite match the timid shake in her voice.

At her mention of Wildcry, his ears twitched, and he let out a knowing hum. "Still cross, is she? Well, if I were to hold a grudge every time a cat stepped a whisker out of line, I’d be the unhappiest elder in the Clan..."

Shifting slightly to make more space beside him, he gestured with his tail. "Come on then, get comfortable. I wouldn’t turn down the chance to spin a tale for a young listener especially one who brings such fine gifts." His whiskers twitched with a certain mysterious mirth. "What kind of story do you hope to catch...?"

I may be small, but I’m braver than I look.

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"I could even help you put them in your nest, that way everyone will know which on your nest is, at least for a little bit" Robinkit replied to Bravesong's praise of her present. A rumbling purr echoed from the back of her throat and the purr didn't seem to halt when Bravesong said his little half-amused addition to her problem. Seems like not every cat sees Robinkit's problems as problems of their own, and as much as Robinkit should have detested Wildcry's demeanor being taken so lightly, she couldn't help but crack a small smile at the black-and-white tom.

Robinkit took a moment to comfortably settle down next to Bravesong at his invitation, it did pester her that she was so skittish all the time, especially with her being so hesitant to enter a den without fear of a scolding... what had happened to make her so jumpy? Was it nature? Or did it go deeper than that? Whatever it was, maybe if Robinkit heard some stories about brave cats like the Elder beside her, she might be inspired to be like those cats.

"Got any stories about bravery? Like a cat having to be brave to solve something?" Robinkit asked with a tilt of her mostly white head. "I wanna be braver, but I dunno how, maybe a story of someone brave could help, do you think so Bravesong?"

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished
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Bravesong regarded Robinkit thoughtfully, his expression growing solemn yet warm. He hadn’t always been eager to share his past, but as he looked at her...this little kit trying so hard to be brave despite whatever fears weighed on her he decided she might be old enough to hear it now.

"A story about bravery, is it?" He mouthed out loud, his tail curling over his paws. "Well then, maybe you're old enough to hear the story about how I earned my name." His voice carried a quiet weight, as if the memory still echoed through him.

He let out a slow breath before he began. "Back when I was just a warrior the Clan was thriving, but danger is never far from us, no matter how strong we feel. There was a fox in the territory - big, bold, and clever enough to keep just out of our reach. We knew it was a threat, but none of us knew just how dangerous it would become." His whiskers twitched as he glanced down at her. "That changed the day I went on a trip with my apprentice..."

I may be small, but I’m braver than I look.

✦･ﾟ: *✦･ﾟ:* 🐦 *:･ﾟ✦*:･ﾟ✦

Robinkit's ears perked up with interest when Bravesong spoke of the fox, she wondered if the fox was gone yet, Maybe that's the reason she wasn't permitted to leave the camp, or perhaps it's why Cottonlily hasn't come back yet; she might be on an important mission to confront it! Regardless, Robinkit sat calmly beside Bravesong in his little petal-woven nest to listen to him continue the story.

“Isn't your apprentice Greypebbles? He seems to be around you quite a lot.” The small kit inquired, her round, yellow eyes gazing at Bravesong with wonder; there was no sign of bravery just yet, but with a name like Bravesong, he must possess enough courage to live up to it. “Was he as brave as you?”

It wasn't long before Robinkit had realized she was interrupting Bravesong's story, and she held her tongue and nodded for the bicolor tom to continue weaving his tale, but it did make her wonder what the small grey tom could have done that showed bravery, he is always so soft spoken. But the little she-kit gave a small shrug before settling herself again. “I'm sorry, Bravesong. Please go ahead.”

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished
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Bravesong ear's perked when he heard the small she-kit speak. He had purposefully left pauses in his story for such questions. "Yes, Greypebble's was my apprentice and he did turn out braver for it, I think."

Bravesong shifted slightly, the familiar ache of old wounds reminding him of how the story ended. "Pebblepaw was a quiet one, not the most confident, but determined. I was proud of the progress they’d made. Mistyleaf came with us. It was meant to be a peaceful day." His tail flicked, as if shaking off the ghost of that long ago naivety.

"We caught the fox’s scent while we were out. We should have turned back, but we didn’t. We wanted to chase it off before it could threaten the camp. I thought we were prepared." He huffed a quiet chuckle, shaking his head. "We found it before we were ready."

His gaze flickered with something deeper, something more than just the memory. "It was fast - faster than we expected. When the fight started, I told my apprentice to run, to warn the Clan… but the fox had other plans. It turned on him. And I - " His claws flexed against the den floor as his voice took on a dramatic tone." - I wasn’t about to let Pebblepaw die."

I may be small, but I’m braver than I look.

✦･ﾟ: *✦･ﾟ:* 🐦 *:･ﾟ✦*:･ﾟ✦

Pebblepaw, so his name was Pebblepaw, Robinkit thought to herself with a fascinated ear flick, continuing to give Bravesong her full attention, she didn't want to miss a second of this interesting story, so she didn't want to interrupt it with anymore unnecessary questions, especially when this story was supposed to inspire her to be brave like Bravesong is.

Robinkit's eyes widened at the mention of the fox, Finchkit had pretended to be a fox before with Rimekit and he was not nearly as fast as how Bravesong described them. But maybe that's just cause Finchkit never saw a fox, Robinkit could bet that Bravesong was just as fast when he fought the fox, at least... that's what she though he did, that sure woulda been brave.

"Didja fight it? It ran away right?" Robinkit asked, a flicker of worry in her tone, while she had never smelled the scent of a fox, even though she didn't know what it smelt like, warriors and Coyotepaw went in and out and were fine, so Robinkit assumed for the most part that the fox was long-gone. "Did Pebblepaw and Mistyleaf fight it too? You're here so you won right?"

Robinkit's question came in slow and quiet succession, allowing Bravesong to keep on with his story while she asked her questions, but if Bravesong hadn't heard her, she would not be opposed to repeating herself if she had to.

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished
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Bravesong exhaled, slow and measured. It was good to see how invested the growing kit had become as he continued. All of her questions would be answered in time, and his eye gave a knowing twinkle.

"I threw myself at that fox with everything I had. We rolled together, biting, clawing - until I felt its teeth sink into my face. I remember the pain, the heat of my own blood, the moment I realized I could no longer see out of one eye." His tail flicked, but his voice remained steady. "But I didn’t stop. Even when I could barely stand, even when my paw was twisted so badly I thought I’d never walk right again - I stood my ground. And when Mistyleaf got there to help. Together we brought that fox down."

He sighed, a quiet rumbling sound in his chest. "I thought I wouldn't even make it back to camp let alone be honored for my sacrfise. Not knowing if I would live or die. No longer was I named Jaysong, but Bravesong. I had stood my ground, even in the face of fear, even in the face of pain knowing that I would save the life of Greypebbles, prevent a fox from killing others..." His eye softened as he looked at her.

"Bravery isn’t about never being afraid. It’s about standing firm even when you are."

I may be small, but I’m braver than I look.

✦･ﾟ: *✦･ﾟ:* 🐦 *:･ﾟ✦*:･ﾟ✦

Robinkit's ears were locked into Bravesong's words, there was a bit of fascination in her eyes as Bravesong wove the tale of the battle with the fox and how he saved Greypebbles from death by fighting it with honor and from what she assumed was a lack of fear. The little caliby flinched as Bravesong mentioned his face injury and her eyes moved rather quickly to the aftermath, long healed now, she thought as she shuffled a little closer to Bravesong, placing a paw on Bravesong's twisted paw for a moment.

The texture of the twisted paw as different from that of a normal paw, the bone was completely wrenched out of place and the paw was broken far beyond repair, especially in the way it healed the way it did. Robinkit didn't really have fear in her eyes here, not around Bravesong, not when he seemed so strong despite all of his injuries. "I think Bravesong suits you better, now you live as a reminder that you saved a life and many other lives, that's amazing" she cooed as she nuzzled her cheek against Bravesong's fur.

"About standing firm when I'm scared" Robinkit thought aloud, looking at her paws for a moment, the white paws and pink pads easily stood out against the dark mossy ground of the elders' before she returned her admiring gaze back to Bravesong. "Like... if I'm scared to do something important, I can just do it while I'm scared and overcome it instead of shying away from it?" she asked, tilting her head. Despite the violence of the story, Robinkit really enjoyed it, but maybe that was just because Bravesong was telling it.

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished
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Bravesong let out a warm chuckle, the sound deep and full of quiet pride. Robinkit's small paw against his twisted one was a gesture he hadn't expected, but he accepted it with a slow blink, letting her curiosity roam without reprimand.

"You've got it exactly right..." He said softly, shifting slightly. "Fear doesn’t just go away because you want it to. It lingers, claws at you... tells you to run or hide. But courage is stepping forward anyway." His good eye glimmered with something both gentle and firm.

He let a pause settle between them, just long enough for her to let the thought sink in, before adding with a teasing note. "And besides, I’d say you’re already braver than you think. Marching in here, standing up to old Wildcry's fussing, and sitting with a grizzled elder like me? Not every kit would do that."

His whiskers twitched with amusement before his muzzle lowered to swipe his tongue over his good paw. A subtle purr coursed through him. "So tell me...what’s something important you’ve been scared of?"

I may be small, but I’m braver than I look.

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Robinkit nodded her head as Bravesong spoke his words, while she had a feeling she had been right, she did not expect Bravesong to explain how she was already brave enough to visit, causing the kitten to knead at the ground with her small paws, perhaps she was flustered by the praise or maybe she was just embarrassed that she was caught visiting she could have the courage to make herself known first.

The tri-colored kit stared forward as Bravesong asked what she was scared of, the thoughtfulness of a much older cat in her yellow eyes "I don't know what I want to be when I'm older, I've got so many big cats to look up to but I don't think I'll be able to live up to any of them, so I don't know what path to be excited to take. I'm scared that I'm not going to fit in anywhere, Bravesong." The kit fretted, flattening her ears as she leaned against the black-and-white elder for comfort.

"Finchkit and Rimekit seem to good at being warriors and I'm not real interested in that, I like herbs but I don't think that'll make me a medicine cat either, sometimes I think I'm better off in the elders' den with you" Robinkit admitted, lowering her head for a moment and letting out a saddened sigh, despite her confessions, her fur lay flat and calm, but her eyes had a saddened, worried, near frightened looking to them. Great StarClan she hoped Bravesong was as good at advice as she thought he was

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished
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Bravesong listened intently, his ear flicking at the weight behind Robinkit's words. Her small voice carried a fear he understood all too well.

He let out a low hum, thoughtful. "You know..." He began, his tail curling around her in a quiet gesture of reassurance, "When I was your age, I had no idea who I was going to be either." His gaze softened, his whiskers twitching with something between amusement and nostalgia as he tried to reassure the small kit.

"But the truth is, Robinkit, you don’t have to decide that right now. You don’t have to fit into anyone else's pawprints." He turned his head slightly, looking at her more directly. "You say you like herbs, but don’t think you’ll be a medicine cat. Maybe you won’t. But maybe you’ll be the cat who knows how to treat a thorn paw before they even have to limp to the medicine den. Or the one who listens, who makes others feel less alone."

His tail gave a small flick. "The best kind of path is the one you make for yourself." Bravesong sighed, a quiet steady sound before nudging her gently with his muzzle. "If you feel at home in the elders’ den, then visit whenever you like. But don’t think that means you don’t belong anywhere else. You’ve got time... More time than you think."

I may be small, but I’m braver than I look.

✦･ﾟ: *✦･ﾟ:* 🐦 *:･ﾟ✦*:･ﾟ✦

Bravesong's words seemed to resonate with Robinkit, despite her flinching ever so slightly when his tail curled around her, but she soon warmed up to the gesture and made herself comfortable as she listened with undying attention to the tom, her ears twitched ever so slightly as she processed the tom's words. If she didn't have to think of it yet, then why was it the only thing she could think about most days, she had no choice in who she would be, it was entirely up to Moosestar, but maybe Moosestar liked her enough to go easy on her.

"That's what I want to do, I want to help others and avoid battling at all costs" Robinkit replied, though every time she thought of her future she thought of how Wildcry had scolded her in the elders' den once before, she never forgot and maybe she never would. Though it will eventually be buried in the past like most things and Robinkit would purr at the day where she stopped thinking about it. 

'The best kind of path is the one you make for yourself' Bravesong's words struck her and mad the small she-cat freeze for a moment. The words made her think about how Bravesong worded it, if she could mark he own path, there must be some things that are in her control, Robinkit liked the idea of forming her own path despite roles that might be pushed onto her, adapting, that is what she could be known for. "I could adapt to whatever happens in the future, maybe I won't fall into anyone pawprints but my own" she said with a soft purr, her yellow eyes peeking up at Bravesong in admiration.

"I think I'll even visit when I'm an apprentice too, or even when I've earned my full name. I love you Bravesong, I'd always visit for you and Cherrytree. No matter how much time I've got to think about who I'm gonna be"

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished
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Bravesong felt something deep in his chest tighten—something warm, something steady. When she looked up at him with those bright admiring eyes, he knew his words had meant something real to her.

He bent his head slightly, brushing his nose gently against her ear in an uncharacteristically affectionate gesture. "I’d be honored to see the cat you become." The life of a warrior - of a Clan cat - was often built on duty and sacrifice, but moments like this? They were what made it all matter.

A quiet chuckle rumbled in his throat, warm and low. "You’d best keep that promise then, Robinkit. Even when you're old enough to get your own nest and think you’re too busy for us." Bravesong enjoyed these moments, fleeting as they were. They reminded him of those quiet moments with Coyotekit - Coyotepaw - now. His little ward was growing up so fast.

I may be small, but I’m braver than I look.

✦･ﾟ: *✦･ﾟ:* 🐦 *:･ﾟ✦*:･ﾟ✦

"I haven't broken a promise yet, at least I don't think I have" Robinkit replied, leaning into Bravesong's nuzzling as if it were her own dame nuzzling up against her. There was something oddly comforting about the gesture, no matter who did it from what it seemed, there was no words, just intent to keep the other safe and make them feel love, and if Robinkit felt anything massive in that moment, it was love, and perhaps a bit of fatigue too.

Robinkit got herself comfortable beside Bravesong, laying her head comfortably on her front paws, but continued to look up at him with admiring, yet tired eyes. Bravesong seemed like an odd sense of light from her nursery life. The little kit always felt so left out when in the nursery, but Rimekit and Finchkit never really played any game she really liked the look or sound of, so it was of her own fruition at least.

The young she-cat let her jaws part briefly into a tiny yawn, while Robinkit was slowly beginning to sleep less then she usually did, there were always moments when she needed a good nap, and the quiet of the elders' den was one of, if not, the perfect place to sleep, and beside one of her favourite cats no less. "Bravesong, I might..." Robinkit let out another yawn mid-sentence, soon curling her tail around herself "I might have a nap here, thank you for talking to me"

"G'night Bravesong" Before the elder could make a response, Robinkit curled her body more comfortably for warmth and snuggled closer to Bravesong's black fur. Her lids soon closed over here eyes and her breath began to ease rather quickly, before long the small kit was sleep, next to one of the few she felt comfortable doing so around, this was the life if she had ever seen it.