pafp so i’ll plant a garden [a gift]

[CLAYFUR]

Hyacinthbreath is gone. A mistake made by the leader, by the entire RiverClan council—a blight upon the river’s land. Gone. And the clan is better off after her loss, without the exile of another clan sleeping under their dens, sharing their prey, taking mercy on their enemies.

But there is one cat who’d joined from the outside who hasn’t been a mistake from the start. A cat who’s had her kits here, put down roots, started her family here. A cat who hasn’t brought death upon RiverClan. And with all the talk of Hyacinthbreath’s betrayal, of her exile, of how outsiders like her should never have been allowed in… He thinks of Boneripple. Boneripple, the ex-healer who has become a true RiverClanner, who Clay trusts with his life. Sure, the black and white she-cat expressed concern for the lilac tabby upon her exile, but he understands her concern. If Hyacinthbreath was exiled—is Boneripple next?

He trusts Boneripple as a clanmate, though there is still a voice nagging at the back of his mind to be cautious around her. She changed her name, has raised her kits as RiverClanners, but that may not save her from Cicada’s wrath. It may not save her from her clanmates’ wrath. But it has saved her from Clay’s, and he wants her to know that. So when he catches a particularly plump fish—it’s, like, a perch or something, he doesn’t know his fish identification very well—the brown and white warrior sets out to find a certain skunk-striped RiverClanner.

When he finds her he approaches, soft-pawed for once, and sets the fish at the she-cat’s paws. "Hi, Boneripple. I got this for you." His voice is gentle, with none of its newfound harshness, none of the warning of what he’s willing to do to those who have crossed his clan. He speaks not as one who’s lost his mate—though Boneripple knows all too well of that—but instead as a clanmate, reassuring. "I just wanted to make sure you knew… I said a lot about Hyacinthbreath, and none of it applies to you. She was a mistake. You haven’t been." Boneripple is strong, certainly, and an ex-member of another clan, but she has shown no signs of betrayal. She didn’t bring about anyone’s death.

Hell, she’s a victim herself. She’s suffered since coming to RiverClan, and Clay doesn’t want to add to that suffering. "You’re my clanmate, no matter where you came from. I don’t hold your past against you." If things had been different, would they have been enemies? If Boneripple had been the cat whose shoulders held the blame for Clear’s death, would he hate her, too? Would he have driven her out at the first chance he got? He doesn’t want to think about that. He forces a smile onto his muzzle, tilts his head at the she-cat. "I hope you like… whatever fish this is."

// @BONERIPPLE​

[ YOU ARE THE STARS TO ME ]​

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[BONERIPPLE]

જ➶ Everything that has happened has her on edge, stepping on eggshells and watching those that are supposed to be her clanmates. Her maw stretches open in a yawn, teeth flashing for just a second as she tiredly sits. She hasn't slept too well but she presses on as she watches what is happening around the camp. Soon she knows that she will be going out hunting again but she hopes for a border patrol instead. She wants to see how Windclan is fairing after their humiliation. Truly, she has never liked them, liked them less and less given the things they did when she was medicine cat in Shadowclan. Wished she had been vocal against the alliance her nephew thought was a good idea. But alas it is all in the past. All of it. All she can do is hope that things get better and that Windclan crumbles. Her eyes close and she is about to get to her paws when she is suddenly startled by something plopping at her paws. Her fur bristles in her shock before a familiar white and warm brown pelt helps her to relax.

A fish, and for her. "Oh, thank you so much, Clayfur." A small smilr pulls at her muzzle before it vanishes and she is not expecting all of his words. They are not a rush, but to her ears they go so fast. She wants to hear them again. Hang onto them and she feels her eyes start to water. The threat of tears pulling at her strongly. But she holds them back, she can't be weak right now and show too much. She needs to stand firm with her head held up high. Crying, she has done enough of that and she can and will keep her loyalties. "Clayfur...thank you for this. Thank you for telling me this. It makes me happy to have someone's trust here. I'm sorry but I just...I feel like I'm in a nest of vipers and they are all staring at me ready to strike." It's shaken her a little and she can't help that at all. But she knows she has never done anything to bring harm upon Riverclan, never raised a claw against them before or now.

Still it eases her soul despite having witnessed how Clayfur chased Hyacinth out. She knows the other made it out and that is all she really cares about. It was a decree and it has been carried out flawlessly. "I will enjoy this fish and if you want to share it with me you are more than welcomed. Your kindness knows no bounds." Lifting a paw she wipes at her eyes before settling to take a bite from the fish. She hasn't eaten yet so now is as good a time as any.​

 

[CLAYFUR]

The tom feels a bit guilty for the way that Boneripple’s hackles raise, the way she looks startled by his sudden presence. But she smiles, thanks him, and he feels much better about himself. He’d hate to scare her off, not when he’s been trying to get to know the skunk-striped warrior better. He tries to look comforting as she explains how she feels, living in RiverClan with so much scrutiny around her. It must really feel like she’s walking on eggshells every day of her life. But his words seem to have given her comfort, and he grins warmly.

"I’m just glad you’ve stuck it out for this long. You’re a good warrior, and you haven’t done anything to hurt the clan." He shrugs, using the movement to shift into a more comfortable position. "It’s not fair for anyone to judge you for coming from somewhere else. ShadowClan was never our enemy to begin with—not like WindClan has been. And besides, almost all of us came from somewhere else to start with." She invites him to share the fish, and tells him that he’s kind, and… it feels wrong settling on his shoulders, being told something like that. His kindness certainly has its bounds—Hyacinthbreath had learned that. Her son had learned that. Howlingstar learned that. And Rabbitnose, as much as he regrets it, had learned that.

Clayfur settles down a bit closer to the she-cat, gaze fixed on the fish that he’d caught for her. It does look good… "I’m glad you like the fish. I was worried you wouldn’t." He’s not sure what exactly he was worried about—coming off as insensitive, perhaps? Offending Boneripple, who’s been nothing but kind since coming to the clan? He can’t remember why she’d left ShadowClan, but whatever reason it was, they don’t deserve a warrior like her anyway.​

[ YOU ARE THE STARS TO ME ]​

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[Sablemist]

In every situation you give me peace

Although she tried to do so secretly, she has kept a close eye on her mother. Gauging her reaction to their home after the event Hyacinthbreath started. She understood full well the feeling of walking on eggshells, watching her clanmates with more scrutiny than she ever had before. She didn't want them to be next on the chopping block, especially since she knows Boneripple has been nothing but loyal to riverclan. Quietly she approaches, parting her jaws to rasp her tongue over the ruffled fur lining her mother's head. A soothing, grounding gesture, meant to offer the molly comfort as well as herself. "That is a really nice fish, Clayfur." Sablepaw murmurs softly, moving to take a seat on Boneripple's other side. "Which part of the river were you at when you caught it?" She asks, periwinkle gaze moving from the freshly caught fish to the dual toned warrior. ​

Don't gotta be afraid because you're in the lead​

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