I’d rather bear the weight of others than let others carry pain alone.

━✺━✿━✺━

It was early morning when the idea came to Basilflame, she wanted to ask the certain toms she had been fond of to help her with the decision that has been flickering in her mind since the current kits started getting bigger and older. But even more since Cedarpaw had been missing for long enough for some to give up looking. Boldclaw was the first cat she intended to ask. But she wouldn’t just ask him outright, there was a methodology to it. It would seem awkward to simply ask him for a favor that large, she had been taking Boldclaw out of camp every so often, perhaps every two days over the past few days now. It wouldn’t be out of the blue for her to ask him out of camp.

And so, she slipped from the warriors’ den and made a line to the Elders’ den. The rest of the elders seemed to be asleep, for a moment, she looked to her mother, sound asleep in her nest, she was going to be the oldest elder in the camp soon, and that worried her, because she would eventually be without her, perhaps giving her a bloodline would give Sunbear some peace of mind? She wasn’t sure but she was sure that she wanted kits. Boldclaw was one of her toms of choice.

"Boldclaw?"She called out quietly, flicking her flame colored tail as it caught the early dawn light. "Are you awake? If you’re still sleeping I could come back later." She asked with just as much volume as the whisper she had begun with. "I was just hoping we could go out, hunt a little, share tongues under the tree at the Wind Hill. It wouldn’t be too hot for you at this time would it?" she meowed, she had taken notice of his moods on the hotter days, especially when it was sunhigh, she thought that taking Boldclaw out when it was a little cooler might make him a little more comfortable. For Boldclaw, she would go out of her way to do a lot of things. Including much more than this. For Boldclaw.

Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.

｡ ₊°༺ ☀️ ༻°₊ ｡

The impromptu outing with Flickerkit had gone as quickly as it had came, and it left Emberdawn with his own mind for the rest of the night. And for most of the day, he had given out patrols yes, but aside from that, there hadn't been any immediate need for concern within the clan, Flickerkit was home and had found a new feather for herself, she seemed rather proud of it, and Cloudflare hadn't said anything to him about the situation, at least, not yet he hadn't.

And even so, it hadn't been what he was thinking about. In truth, it was Aspenberry that was running circles in his mind. He would agree with what he assumed her kits had thought and what he had hear Beewhisker mutter in grief, Aspenberry should still be here, still be deputy, what did Emberdawn have compared to her? He hadn't been a senior warrior, he hadn't mentored a kit to gain that experience, and yet, Fawnstar chose him as the WindClan deputy. and he wondered if he was letting it all get to him, if the pressure of living up to paws that walked before him was making him falter...

... And if Aspenberry could have been saved. Emberdawn had done what he could, perhaps he put too much stress on Petalsnap, he felt bad about that as well, maybe if he had gotten there sooner... things might have been different, Aspenberry might have still been deputy, he would still be a warrior and there wouldn't be motherless kits in the clan. If he could change things, he would do everything better, Aspenberry would still be here and everything would be less... grief stuck. But he respected Fawnstar's choice in him as her deputy, even if he didn't quite understand it...

Healing is a matter of time,
but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity.

‹‹‹‹ ››››

Rowanglade glanced outside the entrance of her domain. The camp floor was still showing the evidence of the morning’s drizzle but the clouds that could be seen in the sky above the outer wall were thinning. Leaf-fall still didn’t have a strong hold yet, the season drawn long by the blue moon that was coming. But it was an excellent time to educate her apprentices on the matter.

She had assembled the pair after giving them the morning to get to know each other a bit. It was unusual to have two apprentices so close to the same age, but not unheard of. There were very old legends, rarely told, about callings of a pair. Certainly these pairs were usually true twins that had shared a sac in the womb. The story of Ashpaw and Muddypaw was different, but training together would still leave both of them changed. For the better, she couldn’t help but hope.

“Once a year StarClan gives us a season that’s longer than normal, one with an extra moon in it. This year it’s in leaf-bare, and the next moon.” Rowanglade began, pitching her voice so that even if they’d be distracted they would likely hear.

Without passion you don’t have energy, without energy you have nothing.

･ﾟ✧⭑🍓⭑✧･ﾟ

Running, running was all Berrypaw knew how to do in the moment, he had become breathless, tight chested but he knew it was mostly from the speed of which he was running, he had made peace with the fact Cedarpaw was leaving before she had left, last night. But the clan needed to look for her in the wrong place, so the truth couldn't be known. Especially now that they had lost Aspenberry as well, they can't think that she is dead too.

When the camp came into view, Berrypaw nearly tumbled into it, the light pawed apprentice now seemed back to his clumsy, kit-like self as he nearly fell forward when he skidded to a halt at the camp entrance. He glanced around the camp, wondering if all these cats were even paying attention to him. But as some eyes met his fumbling form, he knew that he was being paid attention to he tried to catch his breath fruitlessly.

"Twolegs stole Cedarpaw!" He wailed, fur bristled and tail fluffled like a bottlebrush and lashing wildly in a panic, a feigned panic, but a convincing panic none-the-less.

I’m still a Warrior no matter what you say!
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·

 

Boldclaw lay contently in some shade near the Elders’ Den. He still wasn’t happy to be residing there, but his kin, and now the deputy, Emberdawn, had given him some purpose back. It was interesting how these past few moons had gone. After several moons sequestered in the Elders’ Den with little to do but watch his life go by, things had begun to look up as Basilflame had found the desire to talk to him. Of all cats in the clan, she alone had seemed to remember what an admiration he had been before his early and forced retirement. Not long after though, with his mood lifted, he had talked to one of the clan’s kits and had his entire world shattered once more.

For a moon after that he had lain in the Elders’ Den, miserable. So miserable had he become, that he had avoided Basilflame, not wanting her to see him so broken. He knew that she wanted to make good on her promise to take him hunting regardless of what the clan’s leader and deputy said, but what was the point in allowing her to risk getting in trouble for such a useless mangepelt as he? That last moon of greenleaf had likely been one of the darkest in Boldclaw’s life. It was only broken by the promotion of his cousin to deputy. Boldclaw didn’t think Emberdawn had thought much of him, but whether kinship or the tom truly thought well of the cream coloured tom, he had somehow persuaded Fawnstar into allowing to participate in apprentice tasks.

It was somewhat undignified in Boldclaw’s mind that he was essentially on apprentice duties, but at least he had something to do each day. Windclan’s dens had never been so strong or rainproof, in the pointed tom’s opinion. He also had plans to ensure the dens would stay warm once the cold finally hit. Unfortunately, he still didn’t seem to be trusted to go far from the camp, and the mentors of the apprentices obnoxiously kept taking them for training. Even when they weren’t training, some didn’t exactly listen to Boldclaw unless they were directly tasked with reinforcing the dens under his guidance.

It was because of this that Boldclaw now found himself lazing in the sun, enjoying a completely unwanted break. Since being allowed to do something, the tom could be described as a bit of a workaholic. Often he worked on the dens even without the help of the apprentices, but he needed to collect more twigs, grasses or whatever else could be used to reinforce the camp’s walls before he could do anything, and he wasn’t allowed out alone as far as he knew. Sighing, Boldclaw lay his head on his paws and watched the happenings of the camp, his tail twitching rhythmically as he watched for an apprentice he could try to convince to gather materials instead of enjoying their own break from training and chores.

Without passion you don’t have energy, without energy you have nothing.

･ﾟ✧⭑🍓⭑✧･ﾟ

Berrypaw hadn't been able to get to sleep. Not because of his usual energy, but due to the offer that was handed to both Berrypaw and Cedarpaw earlier in the day. As much as he acted agressive to the outsider that day, he just knew that is what he was supposed to do. He noticed how Cedarpaw seemed so angry with him, how hesitant she was, how she was left with time to think about the choice. He was so scared, he was so worried, he was going to lose Cedarpaw, he was sure he was.

It terrified him. How could he sleep when he and his sister weren't even getting along enough to say goodbye properly if she left the clan forever. He wouldn't know when he would se her again if she left. He needed to talk with herm, if she left, he couldn't have their last conversation be an argument. He didn't want her to be remember him that way, not now, not ever. 

Berrypaw lifted her head and turned to where his sister's nest was, next to his own. He used his tail to nudge the pointed cat softly, in an attempt not to wake Heatherpaw and Oatpaw. "Cedarpaw... Cedarpaw! Are you awake?" He whisper-shouted at her, furrowing his brows. There was no energy in his eyes, none of the bright mischief he was known for, just a lack or hope, he was hurt, not by Cedarpaw possibly choosing to leave him, but at himself for potentially pushing her closer to doing so. "I... I want to talk."

Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.

｡ ₊°༺ ☀️ ༻°₊ ｡

It felt that the longer that Emberdawn stood at the attention of the clan, the easier it seemed to get for him, at least this patrol assignment stuff anyway... the rest of the additions that came with being deputy would still need some getting used to. But regardless he took his place at the meeting place and rose his chin. "WindClan! To me!" he echoed, his cinnamon tail flicking behind him as the warriors gathered.

"Basilflame, I'd like you to take Heatherpaw and Breezewing along the border by Tresspass point. Mark your scent where you can." He began his voice didn't trail like it may have done previously but instead it almost boomed with the smallest spark of confidence, but how long would it last? "Bayflower, you will lead a patrol consisting of Petalsnap and Shadesleek past the fenceline separating our territory from the barn. Take Oatpaw with you." For a moment, he paused, now the cats to guard the camp and to hunt for the clan, it was easy enough.

"Boulderdash, you and Fallheart will take turns standing sentry over camp throughout the day." He added, flicking his tail for a moment before turning to the remaining warriors. "Beewhisker and Smallclaw, I will take the both of you hunting at sunhigh. And later, Fawnstar may take Brighteyes for a hunt at dusk." Emberdawn glanced over at the warriors, a moment as if he was searching for approval but it faded from his eyes. But not so quickly his heart.

"Mentors, keep your apprentices on their paws. Warriors, stay vigilant, nothing is more important than your safety."

Looking this good is a full-time job
⤝ ⥈ ⥈ ☁️ ⥈ ⥈ ⤞

Pacing up and down the edge of camp, Smokekit stalked the inner wall. He had meant to try and find something appetizing in the fresh kill pile, but he was mostly hungry for details about where his sister had gone. His nose was tilted towards the wind in case he caught her scent on when she was close by, and it wasn't much longer before his curiosity was teased by the scent of the new deputy returning with Flickerkit.

Once he was sure of the oppertunity he quickly padded up to her. "Where have you been?" If she was out exploring the territory he wanted to hear all about it.. His dark ringed tail stood angled above his hips, intent and focused on his sister. Even if this was only a distraction from the sadness that flooded his heart.