Private Thread Roses Grow On Trees

.｡.:* ☆:**:. .｡.:* ☆:**:.

Greypebbles was happy to be strolling through the territory, there was no unfamiliar scents, not a single warrior that he wasn't familiar with in sight, and no warrior he didn't particularly like in his own clan either, just the woodland and himself, trotting happily with his bobbed tail flicked upward in a sense of joy and content.

An oak stood tall overhead, the scent of fresh prey filled the air, but Greypebbles had no urge to hunt or catch any prey, even prey that may have been covered up nearby didn't interest him. The grey spotted warrior rubbed his side against the tall tree, his scent transferring to the tree's bark. He felt so happy and relaxed in this moment, like all of the stress he experienced in his own camp caused by many factors would just wash away with the birdsong.

Though, there was no incoherent bird songs that he could not, perhaps a warrior hunted a bird in this area and scared the rest off. Regardless, the small tom shut his eyes, purring at the sound of a gentle breeze rustling the oak leaves. Though before he could take in a second breath, a forced landed on his head with a big frumpy sound then fell to the floor. He let out a yowl of shock and shook his head for a moment, glancing down at the bird and its vibrant chest that lay limp and lifeless beside him.

"Oh it was just a robin" He rasped with a breath of relief. Though another familiar scent hit his nose, no scent that would make him freeze and resort to an uncomfortable silence however, it was much more comforting then that. His blue-grey eyes glanced up to see a familiar, distinctive rosetted pelt and his wave of relief flooded over him again. "Leopardrose! I believe you dropped something!" He called up, placing his paw on the robin as he held back a snicker, both at his reaction to getting hit by the bird, and the fact it probably fell from right under his friend's paws.

Spawn of flame, Thunder-struck, from the ashes I rise
──●◎●──

 Leopardrose's eyes widened as she heard the thud below, followed by Greypebbles’ startled yowl. She quickly shifted her position on the branch, peering down to see her friend standing over the fallen robin. A wave of embarrassment washed over her, but it was quickly replaced by amusement as she spotted the tom’s familiar face.

“Oh, Greypebbles!” She purred, her tone light and teasing. “I didn’t mean to make you think the sky was falling down on you, honest!" Maybe she was still a bit embarrassed that she allowed the bird to roll clumsily out of the branch.

She shifted her position slightly, making herself more comfortable on the broad branch. All this excitement had caused her chest fluff to stiffen most unsightly, so she remedied it with a few quick licks. From her vantage point she called down. “Why don’t you come up here and join me - and bring that robin back up with you? I promise not to drop anything else on your head.” Leopardrose winked at the young tom, urging him to settle in next to her.

With a light flick of her tail, she gestured to a spot on the branch beside her. “Maybe you should keep the robin too. Consider it an apology for the surprise." Company from her clanmates wasn't really something Leopardrose looked forward to, much less the attention something like this might bring, so she was relieved to know that the robin only bonked onto Greypebble's head, knowing the reciprocatant could have been much less understanding.

.｡.:* ☆:**:. .｡.:* ☆:**:.

Greypebbles glanced up at Leopardrose, his fur stiffened with embarrassment, what sort of a mouse brain gets hit by a falling robin? The grey spotted kind apparently... He thought to himself as he licked his fur flat, listening to Leopardrose apologize for her mistake. Greypebbles then gave a flick of his ears nudged the robin with his paw.

"It's okay, really, just scared me a little, because birds don't normally fall out of the sky mid flight unless a clever warrior can strike them down" Greypebbles meowed, shaking away the rest of his embarrassment and leaning his head down to pick up the robin, deciding to take Leopardrose up on her offer without a lot of thought. He knew that Leopardrose didn't have any ill intent, he knew her for so long and he was sure she wouldn't do something like that.

Using his claws, he cling to the tree, using his hind legs to make leaps to get the the branch where Leopardrose sat. Greypebbles then crept in beside her and placed the robin in between both their paws. "What about we share this one? You can have the first bite, you caught it after all didn't you?" He suggested, flicking what would be his tail as far around himself as comfortably possible.

"I missed you at the gathering" Greypebbles admitted, using his claws to tear some of the feathers from the bird, some falling onto the bark and some gracefully dancing to the grassy forest floor. Greypebbles never really liked gatherings, too many cats for his liking, he sometimes even disliked the camp when it was full of hustle and bustle of daily life, but at least that didn't feel like the air was still and stiff, almost unbreathable. And besides, it was far more peaceful here with Leopardrose anyway

Spawn of flame, Thunder-struck, from the ashes I rise
──●◎●──

 Leopardrose watched as Greypebbles skillfully made his way up the tree, the robin secure in his jaws. She scooted over slightly to make more room as he settled beside her, the branch dipping only slightly under their combined weight.

As he placed the robin between them, Leopardrose offered a cheeky grin. “Hmm...I suppose we can share it, but only because you’ve made such a valiant effort to retrieve it.” She flicked her dark, ringed tail lightly against his side in a friendly gesture, feeling a bit more at ease now that they were both comfortably perched.

When Greypebbles mentioned missing her at the gathering, Leopardrose’s ears gave a knowing twitch. “Oh, I know, Moosestar didn't think to invite me.” She replied, her voice softening. “Gatherings can be so... overwhelming, can’t they? All those eyes, all that noise. Sometimes, it’s just too much.” She let out a quiet sigh, her gaze drifting out to the treetops that swayed gently in the breeze.

“But I’m glad you’re here now - and that you're feeling 'better'.” she added, turning her gaze back to him with a small, almost nervous smile. Leopardrose hesitated for a moment before leaning down to take the first bite of the robin, savoring the fleshy innards.

Even the smallest pebble can make ripples that change the course of the stream.

⋘ ──── ∙∙•🪨•∙∙ ──── ⋙

Greypebbles didn't normally purr often, but with Leopardrose, he let out a light purr as she accepted his offer to share the prey, they wouldn't be able to do this again with leaf-bare on their tails, so he was relieved and overjoyed that he was able to share this moment with Leopardrose. 

With Leopardrose's tail gentle perched against his back, Greypebbles felt more at peace and comfortable on the tree branch with his close friend, sharing the robin with her, even though he hadn't even caught it, he began to wonder if any other warrior would begin to look for them at this stage and his purr came to a stop as he glanced down at the ground, though no cat appeared below, so he let himself relax again.

"I don't know why Moosestar keeps taking me, licking toads and getting ill from them each moon is tempting" Greypebbles meowed, only half joking, but there was a hint of genuine certainty in his tone. He knew that getting sick on purpose wouldn't be good for his health, but it would prevent him from going to gatherings and will keep cats away from him at least.

"But in short, yes, I don't like them because of how many cats are there and all of them speaking at once, I love every other aspect of life in ThunderClan, but gatherings will never be on that list" He added, giving his tail, or perhaps what would be a tail, a short flick as he leaned himself against Leopardrose, for comfort? warmth? who knows, but he still gave her his undivided attention. "I'm glad to have cats in ThunderClan that understand my view, I don't know what I would do without you or Bravesong around" 

Spawn of flame, Thunder-struck, from the ashes I rise
──●◎●──

 Leopardrose’s ears flicked at Greypebbles’ light purr, feeling a warmth of her own, glancing sideways at him as he spoke about getting ill on purpose.

As she took a moment to sample another small bite of robin, making sure there still would be plenty for the grey spotted tom. “Don't let Tigerrush or Moosestar catch you doing that." She teased, although there was a slightly disapproving tone to her voice. No one should feel the need to force something like that on themselves. “But I get it. It’s not easy being surrounded by so many cats, all of them trying to prove something.”

When Greypebbles leaned against her, she felt a surprising comfort in the closeness. Leopardrose didn’t usually seek out company. She considered herself independent enough to not care about affection, but something about this quiet moment with her friend felt... right. She let herself lean back slightly against him, sharing the warmth.

“It's nice seeing Bravesong back to his usual self. After his injuries, he seemed like a different cat entirely. I'm just pleased he's found himself again.”She said softly, her voice almost a whisper, her pale aqua eyes softening with a rare moment of acceptance.
"If you're called again next Gathering, I'll be sure to leave an impression on Moosestar that way I can go with you. I'll be right there - and I'll make sure no toads are involved." She added with mock sternness, giving his shoulder a playful, light shove.

Even the smallest pebble can make ripples that change the course of the stream.

⋘ ──── ∙∙•🪨•∙∙ ──── ⋙

Greypebbles listened closely to what Leopardrose was saying, taking a small bite of the robin, not wanting to have Leopardrose running dry on food as he didn't know how much she had eaten beforehand, Greypebbles didn't want such a great cat to starve on him, especially as they were slowly climbing towards Leaf-Bare. "I am glad I have someone in ThunderClan that understands me, sure Larchpaw might understand some things but she's very high energy" he explained, the tabby apprentice was always a little... much for his liking, and so was Brindlepaw actually, though in a different way to Larchpaw. 

It was then that Leopardrose mentioned Bravesong, Greypebbles' ears perked at his name, and he smiled at the image of Bravesong that he had created from himself in his mind. Even now he still looked up to the scarred elder... although Greypebbles still wished that he was able to fight back instead of run to get help. "I still feel pretty guilty due to what happened with Bravesong though, perhaps that was just my poor judgement though" he said, mostly to himself though, as he felt it was something that was his to deal with alone.

Though once the topic of gatherings was returned to the conversation, Greypebbles' mind diverted back to Leopardrose. "I sure hope so, I'd be a lot better with you there with me" he replied

Spawn of flame, Thunder-struck, from the ashes I rise
──●◎●──

 Leopardrose’s ears perked as Greypebbles mentioned Larchpaw and Brindlepaw. She could understand how the younger cats, with their boundless energy and eagerness to prove themselves, might be overwhelming for someone like Greypebbles. She chuckled softly, nodding in agreement. “They do have a lot of energy, don’t they?"

When Greypebbles spoke of his guilt regarding Bravesong, Leopardrose’s expression softened. She understood the weight of regret, how it could gnaw at a cat’s heart. “Greypebbles.” Her voice, while soothing, was treading on the verge of being uncomfortable simply by sharing her feelings. It wasn't easy. “You did what you thought was best at the time. No one can ask more of you than that. Bravesong’s a strong cat, and he’s come through those trials because of his strength and the support of his Clanmates - like you.”

She leaned a little closer to him, offering silent comfort. “All we can do is move forward...” She took another small bite of the robin, savoring the moment. An ear flick brought attention to the return of bird song in the trees, a note of normalcy shared between two friends.

Even the smallest pebble can make ripples that change the course of the stream.

⋘ ──── ∙∙•🪨•∙∙ ──── ⋙

The grey spotted warrior gave a nod of understanding, he knew that Larchpaw, Dovepaw and Brindlepaw will be sleeping in the warriors den any moon now, from what he knew, the three were excelling in their training, though Larchpaw was a tad... childish? He wasn't sure if that was the word to describe the young she-cat but it was the only word beside intense that he could find when searching his mind for words to describe the young tabby. "They do, last time I spared with them I almost lost to them, they've got a lot of potential I'll tell you that" 

When Greypebbles turned to see Leopardrose's aqua eyes softening, he knew that comfort was coming, either that or some sense of bad news, he hoped to the high stars that it wasn't the second, if she was about to tell him some bad news about Bravesong, he wouldn't be able to stand it. But a weight fell from his back when Leopardrose's words were those of comfort. "I suppose you're right, I still look up to Bravesong, I just feel I will never meet up to his abilities, if I was half the cat Bravesong is he wouldn't have his injuries I'm sure" Greypebbles didn't seem upset as he spoke, instead his words were certain, as if he were just stating plain obvious fact. 

"Moving on is never easy when you can't forgive yourself for something you can't change" He stated, leaning back against Leopardrose, his fur lying flat on his back and his bobbed tail resting only lightly on the bark of the branch, Greypebbles wanted to make up for not fighting the fox when he could, he just needed a reason for how, he would prove himself worthy of the warrior title, he'd have to at some point..

Spawn of flame, Thunder-struck, from the ashes I rise
──●◎●──

 Leopardrose listened carefully to Greypebbles, her heart aching slightly at the certainty in his voice. She understood the burden of self-doubt all too well, but it hurt to hear it in someone else, especially a cat as kind and thoughtful as Greypebbles.

“They do have a lot of potential.” Agreed the bengal she-cat, thinking of the apprentices. “And so do you, Greypebbles. Bravesong might have his strengths, but you have your own. You don’t have to be him to be a great warrior. Just be you.” Her tone was gentle but firm, a rare softness in her voice that she didn’t show often.

She let out a small sigh, her gaze drifting to the canopy of trees above them. The leaves rustled softly, the dappled sunlight filtering through, casting light patterns on their fur. “Forgiving yourself is hard, I know.” She mewed, almost to herself. “But you have to try. Bravesong’s injuries were not your fault. He’s proud of you, I’m sure of it”

She paused, giving him a small, encouraging nudge with her nose. “And if you ever need someone to remind you of that, I’ll be here." Leopardrose glanced at him, a faint smile curling at the edges of her maw that creased her whiskers. “Besides, those apprentices will be warriors soon and they'll be moving in. We’ll have our paws full, but we’ll manage..."

Even the smallest pebble can make ripples that change the course of the stream.

⋘ ──── ∙∙•🪨•∙∙ ──── ⋙

Greypebbles flicked his ears attentively, listening to Leopardrose's words. Her words seemed to get to him as he looked on thoughtfully, his blue-grey eyes glistening as the sunlight dappled on the pelts of both warriors. It wasn't easy to hear Leopardrose's truthful words, but Greypebbles listened closely, nodded along.

"I suppose, but being me is rather difficult when I'm always silenced by the slightest snapping of a twig" Greypebbles replied, flicking his ears again, he knew that Leopardrose was not often one for gentle comfort, so he appreciated it much more than any other cat giving him any sense of comfort, so he leaned his head against Leopardrose's dappled shoulder and shut his eyes for a moment, embracing the peace of the whole situation.

A light purr rose in his throat as he focused on Leopardrose's words, oh how he loved hearing her voice, it was like a sweet songbird waking him up at the crack of dawn, she could never make Greypebbles upset and he knew that, he just hoped that she knew that. "I'd go to you even if I didn't need anything from you Leopardrose. You're a good friend and one of the only ones I have" Greypebbles finally spoke again, his voice much more relaxed and calm as his eyes remained shut under grey lids.

Spawn of flame, Thunder-struck, from the ashes I rise
──●◎●──

 Leopardrose felt a warmth in her chest as Greypebbles leaned his head against her shoulder, his trust and openness something she rarely encountered. She wasn’t used to being a source of comfort, but with Greypebbles, it felt natural. His words, though tinged with self-doubt, were filled with a vulnerability that made her heart ache, yet she also felt a fierce protectiveness.

She let her head rest lightly against his, their shared silence filled with the soothing sounds of the forest. The light purr that rose from him made her smile, a rare, genuine smile that softened the edges of her usually guarded demeanor.

“You’re a good friend too.” She mewed, her voice almost a whisper. “And I’m glad we have each other. Even if the world feels a little too loud or overwhelming sometimes, you’ll always have a place by my side.”