our story is yet to be told - sunnyday

[emberstar]

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

It didn't sit right with her that Sunnyday had been punished for bringing the now newly renamed Ghostpaw back to camp. Though much time had passed since then, it felt like he had been punished for a good deed. That wasn't something Emberstar ever wanted to happen in her clan. Time and time again, he brought new faces back to Thunderclan, and time and time again his clanmates spurned him for it. The thought of the oncoming leafbare weighing heavy on their minds.

The leader understood it, of course. She remembered her time as a loner, when all her time and thoughts had been dedicated to hunting and fighting. The bite of leafbare was familiar to her.

Still, Sunnyday had a good heart, and he had done what he thought was best for others and for the clan. He deserved to be commended for his efforts. "Sunnyday, do you have a moment?" she called from the entrance of her den, waving him inside with a flick of her tail. Emberstar moved to the back of the den, and sat down with her tail wrapped around her paws. She did not often spend much time in her own den, strangely enough, she found it too lonely. The weather had taken a turn, however, and the new chill on the breeze was enough to persuade her to seek shelter.

Once he stepped inside with her, she shot him a warm smile. "I just wanted to thank you, for bringing so many new friends to Thunderclan!" She told him brightly. "You did the right thing."​

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[Sunnyday]

☀ - WHILST MY HEART STILL BEATS
Perhaps finding lost souls was a skill that Sunnyday had been blessed with. Or maybe it was a curse. Not everyone seemed to appreciate his open heart and his desire to take in strays, and they'd probably hate him all the more if they ever discovered who he had fallen in love with. It didn't help that leaf-bare was plaguing all their minds, but it plagued his too. Many loners would die alone, but with a clan they stood a chance. He couldn't just walk away from those who needed help!

The tom had just finished eating a few bites from a mouse when Emberstar requested for him to join her. Uncertainty weighed like a rock in his stomach and he couldn't help but worry. Had he been found out? Or was he about to be told off for bringing more mouths into the clan? Paranoia coursed through him but he obediently headed up to Emberstar's den, dropping the remains of the mouse at the paws of one of the apprentices along the way.

Despite his initial fears it seemed as though it had been ill-placed. The warm smile that he was met with melted away his concerns and he genuinely looked dumbstruck by the leader's words. She... she was thanking him? You did the right thing. The thin tom was at a loss for words for a few long moments but he eventually mustered up his voice. "I thank you, though I fear you might be alone in your praise. I don't think that the rest of the clan appreciate my knack for finding individuals." Reflecting back he had to admit that both Ghostpaw and Shallow's arrivals had been... difficult. In their own ways. Ghostpaw's arrival could have gone far more smoothly, and he hadn't been able to get Cobwebtail's words out of his head from when Shallow was brought to the clan. Clearly he was gaining a reputation and as much as he tried to avoid letting it bother him it still found a way to niggle at the back of his mind.

"Are you sure that I'm doing the right thing? The punishment I received has been making it feel otherwise." He couldn't really blame Howling Wind, but it had been a difficult punishment to endure. By the time he had been allowed to eat again he had been in utter agony, and being confined to camp had been harsh on his psyche. In the end he had simply snuck out anyway.
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[emberstar]

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

A nod met his assessment that not all their clanmates were happy with his decisions. Or her own for that matter. She wasn't just going to leave new faces to starve out in the cold though, not when Thunderclan could help them. Leafbare would be tough, but she was certain they would get through it together.

She winced as he mentioned his punishment.

"That's why I wanted to commend you. I'm glad that you brought Ghostpaw to Thunderclan, but you probably shouldn't have brough her straight into camp without warning anyone. That doesn't mean you didn't do the right thing though! If it was just me, I wouldn't have had you punished, after all it was just a small mistake! But Howling Wind can be a bit too strict, when it comes to the rules." Emberstar admitted with a soft chuckle, glancing away. "That can be a good thing though. We have rules for a reason, and if it wasn't for her some of them would never be enforced. She just wants to keep our clan safe. Her heart is in the right place."

Her gaze turned back toward him, her eyes shining with pride. "Yours is too though, I can see that. Sometimes rules need to be broken, to do the right thing, and I'm glad to have a warrior in my ranks that's willing to." Emberstar told him with an affirming nod. "I can't be the one to do it after all, how is anyone meant to respect the rules if their leader is always breaking them!" she added with a warm laugh.​

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[Sunnyday]

☀ - WHILST MY HEART STILL BEATS
"I was scared of us leaving her behind in order to get you, given her issues when it comes to her sight, and because she had just been abandoned by her twoleg. I just didn't want her falling to a predator during that time." Sunnyday explained, though it was a little late for excuses. The main thing was that she had been accepted in the end and was now thriving within their ranks. It was really all he could ask for.

The older tom stared at Emberstar in stunned awe as she spoke further. Sometimes rules need to be broken. The words hit hard and he understood fully in that moment what this was truly about. It was like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders and he could hardly contain the laugh from bursting forth. "I see, such wise words. I shall keep them close to heart." He knew that this wasn't permission to undermine Howling Wind's ways, that wasn't the point and he wasn't going to go out of his way to make life miserable for their deputy. Though he realised that it gave him breathing room to simply be himself, to never deny the kindness in his heart even if it risked bending or breaking established rules. "I shall do what I can, on your behalf. Though if I do get punished to stay in camp again then please do find a way to sneak me out." He replied with a glimmer of humour in his blue gaze.
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[emberstar]

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

Emberstar hadn't known the details of his reasoning. They didn't surprise her though, they were exactly what they had come to expect from him. His words validated everything she had just told him. "See? That's what I mean." She replied with an eager nod. "That makes perfect sense, but how would we make a rule for a situation like that? I can't think of one."

His laugh was met with one of her own. "I don't know about wise, but I'm glad you agree! No promises about sneaking you out though, I wouldn't hear the end of it from Howling Wind if I did!"

Despite her humor, it wasn't entirely a joke. Emberstar didn't want to entirely undermine her deputy, she had learned that they worked best together. Sometimes the rules needed to be obeyed, and she had come to trust Howling Wind to know when that was. Still, there was a part of her, deep in her gut that told her what Sunnyday was doing was right. That she shouldn't let him be punished for doing the right thing.

She pushed her turmoil down. It was something she could figure out later.​

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[Sunnyday]

☀ - WHILST MY HEART STILL BEATS
"Maybe the rules can someday be expanded upon? Maybe something based around potential risks to life... I dunno..." Rule creation wasn't exactly a skill of his, but he hoped that perhaps one day something could be implemented to deal with such unusual situations. He also longed to have a greater level of trust placed in the other warriors and himself when it came to such situations that were outside the norm. He could only hope.

"True, true. I guess we'll play things as they happen." Adapt and react, that was all they could do when confronted with the unknown. "I'll continue my work, rest assured." Sunnyday confirmed with a nod of his head. There would be plenty of wayward souls yet to be found and brought home, and he would ensure that they were rescued from grim fates at the hands of the wilds.
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