[BEAR.]

@Raywood

"Nah," he murmured, although he was fully aware of his teasing. "Well. She was gettin' a bit up there, so who knows, maybe her eyesight was going out of whack." There was some affection to his words, a distant memory of the former leader visiting the nursery as deputy. Otterstar's friendship with Wateredge brought along several visits, the brown havana taking on an honorary aunt role. It had been a surprise when she selected him to be her deputy, but he had accepted the private proposition without a second thought. With her demise soon following, he was glad he did. Aukstrike had been a failure of a deputy; abandoning his clan and family, and leaving Otterstar with little cats she could trust.

Faintly chortling at his mate's comment, he nuzzled his head. "You're far from incompetent, dear." Without Cakeless being by his side, Bucknight was aware he wouldn't have survived the fox. The moment he'd been thrown off had been the end. "And you say the rest like it's a bad thing. I already knew you were lazy before -- it doesn't change how I feel."

Weariness was overcoming him, and he could feel himself drifting away to the edges of sleep. ".. wouldn't have done much, would it? .." he sighed into him, voice somewhat slurred from the urge to rest. Try as he might to save Cakeless, there wasn't much he could do if the fox refused to release its grip. Relaxed and content beside Cakeless, Bucknight settled, finally enveloped by the depths of sleep.