i dreaded closing my eyes - berryheart

[emberstar]

"AND THOUGH THE EMBERS ARE NEW, WHATEVER YOU DO DON'T LET THE FIRE DIE"​

Emberstar had been pacing again. It was a habit that she had picked up in recent, since Howling Wind took up some of her responsibilities. Before that, she had rarely had time to herself, and even when she was a loner there were always things to do. Hunting and fighting and practice had occupied all her hours, and when she was doing none of those she was resting, so that she would have the energy to do it again the next day. Now though, she had cats willing to do all those things with her. Lift the weight from being on just her alone.

She was glad for her new freedom, of course. It was just, sometimes she didn't quite know what to do with it.

Mindlessly, the leader paced about the camp, spending all the pent up energy that had nowhere to go. She had hoped to go with Berryheart to the moonstone, but he had said that he wanted to go alone. So she had let him. Now she just wanted him to get back already, so she could know he was safe. That Windclan hadn't torn him to shreds for having the audacity to try and do his job.

Her relief was immeasurable when she caught him returning out of the corner of her eye. "Berry!" she called as she bounded over, forgetting - for a moment - the new name she had given him. "Thank the stars you made it back safe. Look, I've been thinking," her words blended into each other in her eagerness, as they once had nearly every time she spoke, before time and responsibility sapped her of her vitality, "I know I kind of messed up your training by banishing Cinder, but I want you to know I'll do whatever I can to help! I could talk with Blazestar to get Dawnglare to help train you," then again, he hadn't been all that pleasant, had he? "or I could ask Cicadastar about Beesong training you!"

After a moments pause, she seemed to realize that she had not given him any opportunity to speak. She took a step back. Cleared her throat. Tried to look more leaderly. "What I'm trying to say is, just let me know what you need. I'll make it happen." Emberstar told him with a determined nod.​

⁎ ✦ ★ ✦ ⁎​

 

[BERRYHEART]

The trek home had been... tranquil, unsurprisingly. After facing the cold of the cave, the frigid touch of reverie upon his nose, it was for once nice to face the solidity of reality. Real grass beneath his paws, the sight of flowers not conjured by his mind but instead placed there by nature... knowing now the purposeful omens that were presented to those selected by the stars, idyll that was placed there merely by reality's resourceful paws were all the more beautiful.

Such distractions waltzed in his mind as he made his way back into camp- so ardent was the dance that he only noticed Sparky's approach when she arrived directly before him, a chirp in her tone. Blinking away the brief shock that grasped him for a moment, dappled features soon softened to their usual docile state. The leader's words came tumbling out, rainfall from a fiery maw- Berryheart sat in patient waiting, snowy maw ajar in its crookedness. She seemed excited despite the dying flame she had exuded only days before, despite his lack of return. There was something admirable about that... the ability to find that thrill even in the face of scarce reciprocation.

By the time she had wound her tongue back into her maw, she had straightened herself up- assumed a more professional position. Something slightly readable as a smile began to curve the speckled tom's lips. The second one... Bee-something- names had never stuck in his mind for long- sounded familiar. Were they one of the felines the Executioner had instructed him to seek out? "I would appreciate... caution." he said after a few moments, tone level and contemplative. "The training as well, of course... but I need as much time as I can get before I have to put my knowledge to the test." Deeply he hoped she would understand what he meant. Sparky seemed dead-set on avoiding battle at all costs- and the longer he could take to learn how to deal with injuries before having to treat one, the better. ​

[ PENNED BY PIN ]​

 

[emberstar]

"AND THOUGH THE EMBERS ARE NEW, WHATEVER YOU DO DON'T LET THE FIRE DIE"​

Caution, right. Emberstar nodded eagerly at Berryheart's word. She was good at caution, she was known for her caution. It took her a moment to realize that he didn't just mean in general. That he had a very specific idea of what they needed to be cautious about.

"Ah," she began with an awkward laugh, "Well, bad timing there, huh?" The other clans had been the last threat on her minds until she met Pitchstar. She hadn't even thought of them as threats really, they were all supposed to be friends. Well, maybe not Windclan, but even they seemed scarce eager to start a war. Unlike Shadowclan's new leader.

She really didn't like him.

"Keeping the peace is my top priority, always has been." Emberstar told him confidently. She was less keen to make as grand of promises as she once had, they felt less weighty now that so many had fallen through, but she still had faith in her own abilities.​

⁎ ✦ ★ ✦ ⁎​

 

[BERRYHEART]

Her laugh caught him off guard for a moment, though he could not suppress the light of humour that danced in his own askew gaze. Yes, it was perhaps bad timing... they seemed to be teetering on the edge of physical conflict with ShadowClan, but really what else could he ask for that Sparky could offer him? He wished not to burden her with more than the weight she already carried on her shoulders. Was his request merely for caution mercy, then? It was something she clearly already strived for...

Her promise earned the dip of his head, a slow blink of gratitude. The teacher he had almost received was now a pariah to the Clan-lands, sent Stars-know-where, and in her place all he truly required was time. Caution would enable time, hopefully. A peacekeeping goal was a noble one, a helpful one to both him and the Clan in which he resided- knowing such a thing was her 'top priority' gave him all the more faith that he had chosen the correct one of the five paths he had been presented those moons ago.

"I have great faith in you." he murmured, head dipped respectfully. Unlike many others, she was not quicker with her claws than her mind... consequences occurred when weighing options. He deeply admired those who bothered to think.​

[ PENNED BY PIN ]​