Open to Join Beneath the Open Sky

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

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Sunbear's ears twitched in acknowledgement as Heatherpaw approached, she'd had a little chat with her when she was a kit, granted it had be begrudged onto her, but it was pleasant at least. She turned her gaze towards the pale tortoiseshell apprenticed and raised a brow.

"Something like that." she answered, though her tone didn't reveal much, it was only her gaze that spoke enough to make it clear that she wasn't being harsh "Is interrupting the elder's an apprentice thing?" she added, voice unchanging but there was a glimmer of amusement in her eyes and a joking little flick of her whiskers, like she had been conditioned to hide things in her voice but trained her expression to speak more than words.

The large she-cat stretched out her forepaws, flexing her claws and letting a grunt leave her nose before yawning before laying her paws in front of her and raising her head "How much has Bayflower taught you so far?"

The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all
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Heatherpaw’s ears twitched back almost immediately, a tiny wrinkle forming between her brows. She adjusted her grip on the moss bundle, claws kneading into it before she set it down at her paws.

"Why’s there gotta be something bad tacked on when I basically just said you’re good at finding spots?" She asked, the words slipping out before she could stop them. It wasn’t sharp...more puzzled than anything. There was a faint prickle of defensiveness in her tone.

Her tail tip gave a small flick before she added. "Bayflower’s taught me plenty so far. Moss beds don’t change themselves." She gave the elder a sidelong look, a small frown gracing her muzzle as if she expected to be brushed off again.

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

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Sunbear’s ears twitched Heatherpaw’s offence didn’t come as a shock to her, very little did nowadays, she expected Heatherpaw to react as much, there wasn’t much knowledge of herself in the young apprentice’s mind to remember. "Heatherpaw, I suggest you learn something about me." She stated plainly

"When a quiet inquisitive mind finds out the world is out for her, she doesn’t stay very inquisitive or… emotive for very long. If you lived through my lifetime there would be different words to say." She said, there was a genuine undercurrent beneath her voice, more clear than she would have liked it to be. "When one is raised thinking that emotions leads to pain, she makes it a habit to hide them. I feel just fine, but a certain focus is something you might need to hone if you want to know if I mean what "

Sunbear then let out a sigh, perhaps the most facially changing thing aside from eating and speaking she has done today. "But as long as I’m alive you with have an elder or two on your side, you should have to be like me"

"Now come here, I’ll offer a story as an apology"

The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all
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Heatherpaw’s ears flicked, the frown easing only slightly at Sunbear’s words. She glanced down at the stale moss bundle by her paws, claws flexing once into its wiry tangles before she nosed it closer. "I’m not gonna make you wait too long." She said, tone quieter but still carrying that edge of stubbornness. "But if I leave this lying around, Bayflower’ll have my tail for forgetting."

Without another word, she scooped the bundle into her jaws and padded out of camp. By the time she returned, her paws were dusted faintly with dirt, and the sharper set of her shoulders had loosened. She settled back near the elder, curling her tail neatly around her paws as she daintily picked at her toes.

"Alright...You can start now, if ya want."

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

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Sunbear shifted on the rock as Heatherpaw got back to her, moss no longer in tow. Her hazel eyes settled on Heatherpaw with that usual, steady, unreadable look of hers. "Alright then, because you’re interested. You’ll hear it straight, my story." She began, voice rough but not unkind. "I was born in ShadowClan, back when the marsh air still felt like home to me. My mother, Scarletsight, was harder than dry thorns, and my father, Stagfrost, was a kind cat that made you believe the world wasn’t all bad. I had two brothers, Hawkkit and Bigkit, and they were loud, trouble-making furballs." A growl seeped into her tone but it was clear that it wasn't meant for Heatherpaw "I preferred watching over playing."

She paused, gaze flicking quickly towards the camp entrance before turning back to Heatherpaw "When I was an apprentice, my father was killed by a dog. I wasn’t there, I was too far away, but my brothers used the excuse that I was on a patrol at the time to cast the blame on me. Said I should have helped. I didn’t know how to fix that. My mentor, Fogear, kept me going and taught me to keep my head up even if the rest of the clan was ready to look down on me." She paused, a quiet pause that allowed the words to sink and become heavy then she spoke again "Then I met a WindClan apprentice at a gathering, Fennelpaw. We hit it off, kept meeting in secret and well, our bond became unbreakable" her whiskers twitched faintly at the memory, but she pressed on without dwelling.

"In time, I had his kits, two of them, Coyotekit and Chirpkit, but I couldn’t stay in ShadowClan. My brothers did everything to make sure I knew I wasn’t welcome. So I left them there, with a queen I trusted, and left, coming to WindClan without a word. Fennelwhisker welcomed me, and StarClan made it clear I belonged here. I had another litter, lost one, raised a few more one my own, two of another queen’s. I’ve buried friends and a kit. I won’t lie to you Heatherpaw, it’s not all triumphs and victories out there. Sometimes you just… survive. And you hold onto what you can. That’s the truth in it"

Her tone softened slightly but her face stayed firm. "But I’m still here. And that means something. No matter how much you lose, don't let it take you down with it. You keep running, like any good WindClan cat would"

The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all
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Heatherpaw stayed quiet through the whole story, her paws going still against her toes. Her ears tipped forward, then flattened slightly, unsure how to take all of it in. "You mean…" She started slowly, brow furrowing. "Your own kin hated you that much? Enough to make you leave your whole home?" The words felt heavy on her tongue, almost sour. "That’s-" She broke off, whiskers twitching with discomfort, as if the thought was too big to swallow in one go.

She looked down at the dust around her paws, scuffing it with a claw. Barleyswipe had mentioned Sunbear's origins, oft time in far off distain. Heatherpaw never wanted her heart to be that heavy. "I can’t even picture that. I mean… I get littermates fight, but… to push you out like that? And then you had to change clans just to-" Heatherpaw stopped again, shaking her head with a faint unsettled huff.

Finally, she lifted her gaze to Sunbear again. "Guess you were right about the world not always bein’ good. But… that’s messed up." Her voice was quieter now, edged with a new sort of respect, though her expression was still a little troubled.

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

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When Heatherpaw took it all in, Sunbear didn't flinch at her worry, didn't make a sound, just sat there like she had told this story many times, although, this was the only time she had really told it to anyone, but she liked Heatherpaw enough to let her know the whole thing. "Awful?" She tilted her head slightly, assuming the words that Heatherpaw had suddenly lost. "It would have felt like a betrayal if it wasn't like my littermates to do that. They never really liked me, just... tolerated my differences because they liked my Stagfrost" she added, flicking the tip of her long-furred, slightly matted tail. 

"There are some cats that still don't welcome me here, not fully. Some don't change, they'll always question my loyalty to WindClan no matter how many times I prove it's there." She added, giving her paws a few licks, her mask still remained, calm and stoic from moons of conditioning from the horrible situations she didn't deserve to be put through. "But it isn't all bad."

Sunbear's expression softened, as if the facade was flickering between loosening and falling all together, but the look stayed just becoming... softer. "If I didn't have a place in WindClan, you wouldn't have gotten to meet me, or Basilflame, no cat would have met Basilflame" she lamented, thinking back to when Basilflame was young, and letting a smile, a small one, break her features. "I'm happier here than I ever was in ShadowClan, that should mean something."

The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all
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Heatherpaw’s whiskers twitched faintly, not quite sure if she should feel relieved or still unsettled. "I guess… it does mean something." She admitted. Her gaze lingered on Sunbear, weighing the words. "But it still sounds wrong that you had to go through all that just to get somewhere you could be happy. Feels like you should’ve had that from the start."

She shifted her paws, tail curling a little tighter around them. "Still… if bein’ here’s better, then I’m glad you’re here." Her ear flicked, a faint, awkward huff leaving her muzzle. "Even if some cats are mouse–brained enough not to see it."

Her gaze drifted toward camp, then back to the elder. "Basilflame’s… lucky too, I think." There was a flicker of curiosity in her eyes but she didn’t push. "You might’ve lost a lot, but maybe WindClan’s where you were always supposed to end up."

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

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Sunbear shrugged at Heatherpaw's answer, not dismissive, more thoughtful, like there was something that she was truly thinking about behind her hazel eyes. "You're not wrong to think that, I wondered the same thing when I was younger. But I figured that I had to do that extra work for what I wanted, it feels more rewarding that way" she responded, watching Heatherpaw's expressions like a shift could cause an earthquake, but it softened, if only slightly.

"You're a good cat, sympathetic, keep that." Sunbear tapped her tail beside her, beckoning Heatherpaw to come closer, but not as a command, more as an offer that she was free to refuse if she needed "It will help you connect with others, but you'll be strong too, don't let cats mistake sympathy for weakness will you?"

Her tail tip twitched at Basilflame's name coming from Heatherpaw's mouth "She's a fine cat, loyal and proud of her clan as she should be. I think you'd get along with her, she nursed with Aspenberry you know." she glanced over to the apprentice, eyes squinted as if trying to dictate what he next words and movements would be. Not scrutinizing but not so light it would go unnoticed.

The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all
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Heatherpaw hesitated, but at the flick of Sunbear’s tail she shifted closer. Her ears angled forward at the praise, though her whiskers twitched with uncertainty. "Barleyswipe says sympathy doesn’t always feel like strength..." She murmured, eyes tracing the lines of Sunbear’s weathered face. "I dun' wanna get hurt over and over."

But the she-cat’s words had struck something in her. She thought of how quick other apprentices were to laugh, to bite, to eagerly barrell ahead - how different it felt to sit here, hearing someone say that kindness was worth keeping.

"I’ll try." Heatherpaw promised, though her voice carried more stubbornness than certainty. She tilted her head slightly at the mention of Basilflame, interest sparking despite herself. "Hmm... Do you think it was sympathy that made you strong - or was it all the hard work you did?”

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

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"You don't have to get hurt over and over" Sunbear stated, rolling her tail at the mention of Barleyswipe, her expression hardened at the mention of her name but not for long, she glanced back to Heatherpaw with a softened expression. "Kindness doesn't mean weakness, just... make sure to be careful of who you trust." she meowed, her voice lowering to something a little more serious "Not every cat is out to help you, I know that better than anyone"

Sunbear sighed and her expression faltered slightly. She didn't want to be harsh, but she was protecting herself from getting hurt again, and she wanted to protect Heatherpaw as well, to keep her safe in this cruel, unfair world. 

Her ears twitched at her final question she moved her hazel eyes towards her, now making eye contact with the teal eyed apprentice "I think it was both, you need both. Knowing when to share someone's pain and offer what you can, and knowing when to stand firm when the odds are against you, to stand up for yourself, nobody else but yourself" she answered eyes gaze drifting off a bit, something a little vacant behind them, like something was missing "... Even if you lose cats in the process, no matter how much you wish they would stay"

The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all
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Heatherpaw’s chest rose with a small uneven breath. Sunbear’s words were sharp edged, but not unkind, and the apprentice felt them catch somewhere deep inside. Her claws flexed against the earth, grounding herself in the cool dirt between her toes that she'd surely clean out later.

"I don’t want to lose cats either..." She admitted quietly, her ears dipping. "But ... if you don’t try, you’ll never know if they could’ve stayed." She lifted her head then, teal eyes narrowing with a flicker of defiance. "I’m not scared of standing up for myself. I just… don’t know when I’ll look mouse brained for caring."

Her gaze softened as it lingered on Sunbear’s distant look, her whiskers twitching. Then she heaved a soft sigh, a stirring of her apprentice duties billowing in her chest as she blinked at the large elder. "Have you eaten yet? I could grab something for you...?"

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

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Sunbear listened, the quiet, intuitive listening that a cat that is genuinely interested in what another cat has to say would do. She took in Heatherpaw's thoughts, questionable as some were and nodded. "You'd be mouse-brained if you didn't try, didn't care at all. But you do, that's more than enough." she replied.

Her ears twitched at the question she hadn't eaten that much today and she noticed that the other cats had been given their share, so she shrugged "Grab me something if you want. I don't have preference" she meowed, flicking her tail to temporarily dismiss Heatherpaw from her company, at least to grab her the prey.

The warmth of the rock she had been sprawled on made her finally release the purr that was held in her throat waiting for an appropriate time to release itself contently. This was warm, this was nice, maybe Heatherpaw would find the time to just warm herself in the sun, perhaps with Sunbear herself, after one of her walks these days, she'll invite her to relax with her.

The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all
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Heatherpaw’s ears flicked, her chest loosening slightly at Sunbear’s reply. A small breath she hadn’t realized she was holding slipped out and the corners of her mouth lifted into the faintest smile. "Alright." She murmured, giving a small, respectful dip of her head. "I think I saw a robin in the pile."

Her paws shifted, tail brushing the dust behind her as she turned toward the camp’s fresh kill pile. Yet she paused, glancing over her shoulder once more. The sight of Sunbear basking, purring softly against the sun warmed stone, softened something inside Heatherpaw. She scooped the robin in her mouth and returned to the elder.

"Here you are." She said almost shyly, but with a flicker of determination that she tried to hide beneath casual words. "I can sit with you, if you don't mind." Her teal eyes held Sunbear’s gaze for a moment.

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

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Heatherpaw's smile seemed to warm Sunbear a little bit, in a place she had forgotten and the purr that had risen deepened. Sunbear watched as she dropped the robin in front of the stone. Sunbear unsheathed her claws and hooked the robin from the ground and pulled it towards her, de-feathering it's red chest plumage before biting into it, using one paw to guard it protectively, instinctively. She knew Heatherpaw wouldn't be one to take it, especially after she had just given it to her, but something inside of the large ruddy she-cat told her to protect the good things she had, one of those being tasty morsels given by kind cats.

Sunbear's ears pricked, the torn one a little more delayed then the uninjured ear. Heatherpaw's question or perhaps, verbal choice seemed to surprise her. It wasn't often that a cat that wasn't her kin decided she was worth their time, it was nice.

"It's been a while, I wouldn't mind if you spent the whole day with me, kit" she replied finishing off the robin in a few more bites, snatching up a brown feather and playfully, as playfully as an elder like her could manage, batting it over to Heatherpaw "You're good company"

The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all
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Heatherpaw’s ears twitched at being called kit, though the warmth in Sunbear’s tone softened any sting it might have carried. She lowered herself into a neat sit, curling her tail lightly around her paws as she watched the elder devour the robin. The guarded way Sunbear hunched over the meal didn’t bother her and only made Heatherpaw more resolute in offering what little kindness she could.

When the feather skidded toward her, she blinked in faint surprise before her whiskers quivered in a small smile. Carefully, she tapped the brown plume with one paw, giving it a gentle swat back across the stone as though indulging a game she hadn’t expected to find herself part of.

"I don’t mind spending the day. I've already refreshed the elders den." She admitted quietly. "And I don't think Bayflower has anything planned."

Her voice carried no grand conviction, just a feathery coo. Heatherpaw bent to catch the feather once more, this time pinning it with her paw and tilting her head.

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

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When Heatherpaw batted the feather back across the stone, Sunbear raised a brow, she hadn't been sure that Heatherpaw would indulge in her little gesture but was glad she did; glad that Heatherpaw indulged her for just enough to keep her occupied on a nice day like this. She then used her tail to swat the feather back to her with a swift motion.

"Bayflower's a good mentor then. Not pushing you too much, sounds like them" She replied, taking a few licks of her lips to get any leftover robin from her whiskers and muzzle. "A good cat, that one, despite them being a little, clingy" at least to Sunbear's standards, but having an apprentice kept that warrior busy only catching their eyes as they took Heatherpaw in and out of camp, but it was nice to just sit and relax.

Sunbear didn't say much, at least not for a long moment, she let the silence simmer like warm sunlight warming the stone she laid on. Her body was more at ease now and the large she-cat took a glance over at Heatherpaw "You know," she began, a smirk tugging at one corner of her mouth "you promised me a song about hunting rabbits when you were a kit"

"How about it Heatherpaw? Think you've got one in that clever head of yours?"

The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all
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Heatherpaw’s ears pricked, her whiskers twitching as Sunbear reminded her of a promise she had half forgotten. A song about rabbits? StarClan, she must’ve been a bold little scrap to have ever made such a claim. Her gaze dropped briefly to the feather under her paw, then lifted with a soft hum that wasn’t quite a tune, more like she was coaxing one out of the air.

"I suppose I could try…" She murmured, and then, a bit hesitant at first, wove a little sing song under her breath, light as thistledown.

"Long ears flick, white tail flash, Through the meadow hop and dash. I crouch low my ears don’t show, I leap..."

She gave a playful swat of her paw at the feather, as though pouncing it, before flicking it away in a deliberate mimic of a rabbit’s flight.

"- but like the wind it goes! Too quick to catch, yet I must be bold, To catch a rabbit, tuck and roll!”

Her voice petered out with a faint laugh, half embarrassed and half amused at her own silly effort. She ducked her head, giving her chest fur a brisk lick."Hah! Rabbits don’t make it easy on anyone."

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

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Sunbear moved her head from side to side to the rhythm of the song, tail tapping behind her to follow with a beat, perhaps to help Heatherpaw find her rhythm a little more. All signs pointed to Sunbear being rather content in the song that she was hearing, whether it was amusement or otherwise was up to Heatherpaw to figure out.

After the song came to an end, Sunbear gave a small, subtle smile than was hardly more that a twitch in her whiskers, but it was there. "Well that's certainly a rabbit song" she mused with a quiet purr "I think it was worth that wait" she added, curling her tail around herself. She raised a brow as Heatherpaw had pounced on the feather however she didn't say anything about that.

Then, Sunbear moved her hazel gaze towards the nursery looking on for a moment before her attention flicked back to Heatherpaw. "How are the kits and queens doing? Saw you hit the nursery first before the Elders' den" she asked, something like genuine curiosity in her voice, but a part of her wondered if there'd be anymore after Aspenberry's kits were grown. But she wasn't in any rush to know that, not yet.

The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all
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Heatherpaw ducked her head with a sheepish grin, her ears angling back a touch. "Mm, well, I don’t think I’d be catching any rabbits yet, not with leaps like mine. They’d be halfway up the hill before I even thought to tuck and roll." A small puff of laughter escaped her, and she pawed lightly at the ground, as if to chase away the thought of her clumsy pounces.

She perked back up at Sunbear’s question, her whiskers giving a faint twitch. "Well, the kits seem good - healthy and loud, as kits ought to be." Her tone softened into fondness, a little sparkle in her eyes. "Aspenberry can do it all, apparently. Be a deputy - and a queen! Makes it look easy, though I know it isn’t."

Heatherpaw’s tail tip flicked with a mix of admiration and wistfulness. "Kits are nice - means good times, usually."

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 dry huff, her whiskers twitching faintly as she fixed Heatherpaw with a steady gaze. "Rabbits won't wait for you to sort yourself out. They're quicker than your paws will be right now." her voice dropped to something less biting, almost thoughtful. "But, at least you're aware of it. Better a cat who knows her own paws than one who thinks she's perfect and ends up short on prey." she blinked slowly, the closest thing she'd give to approval, and shifted her weight with a flick of her tail.

At the mention of Aspenberry, her ears angled forward, the faintest ripple of pride showing through her usual granite-hard tone. "Mm. Aspenberry's always had the strength of three cats. Deputy or queen, she's got the backbone for it, and the heart, even if she doesn't say so. Her kits are strong enough because of her, not chance. She'll see them through fine." Sunbear's eyes softened just briefly, before she tucked the expression away beneath her usual stony composure. "She makes it look easy because she's warrior enough for both those jobs. That's Aspenberry through and through."

Her gaze lingered on Heatherpaw, sharp but not unkind. "You'd do well to notice things like that, how much works goes into seeming steady. Kits might mean good times, but they mean hard times too. Sleepless nights, hungry bellies, claws at your ears. If you think they're nothing but nice, you've not seen enough of them yet" Despite the gruff words, there was no real bite to them, only weary certainty of one who had lived through it all and carried the weight of it still "But I wouldn't have had it any other way. But I'd certainly understand if a she-cat didn't want any"

The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all
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Heatherpaw shifted under Sunbear’s steady look, ears flicking at the elder’s words. The thought of kits and her own to boot sent a strange flutter through her chest, something she wasn’t sure was excitement or nerves. She gave her chest a brisk lick as though to smooth it away.

"I dun’ know if I’d ever…" Her voice trailed off, then she tried again, softer. "Maybe someday. But right now I’m… glad it’s not something I have to think about. It sounds like a kind of strength I don’t understand yet." She ducked her head, whiskers twitching shyly. "And maybe I’m fine with never understanding."

Her gaze brightened a little, teal eyes narrowing with a more familiar determination. "For now, I’ll settle for learning how to keep up with rabbits. Kits can wait a lifetime - rabbits can’t." She gave a half smile at her own words, tail brushing the stone as if to punctuate her thought.

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

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A chuckle, dry but meaningful, left Sunbear as Heatherpaw spoke of not wanting kits, she cracked a smirk and laid her chin on her front paws, glancing at Heatherpaw with something a little different that stoicism behind her eyes.

"Nobody is saying you need to have kits soon, or ever. You do what makes you happy, what you think is the choice for you," She began, her eyes squinting with a bit of tiredness, she hadn't had a nap all day after all "You do what is right by you, cats that try and control you must be choking on honey with how many bees buzz around in their brain."

There was a moment of silence, her eyes grew a little heavier and she decided to stand and find a softer placed to lay, but not before turning back "Be yourself, that's the only thing everyone else isn't." she stated, giving her back a stretch and letting out a soft grunt as she stood back on her paws, sliding off of the stone and turning towards the elders' den, but not before turning to Heatherpaw.

"Come visit sometime, I'll appreciate the company" she stated before slipping into the elder's den, her body cloaking in the shadow.