[gs29513]

Ugh. Shrewstep had few opinions and even fewer ounces of brainpower to expend on the contents of his patrol. Or at least so he had thought. Alas, it seemed Starclan or whoever was up there, had deigned to annoy him in the strangest of ways. He was stuck with that weird Windclan warrior, Dead something or other. He didn't know her suffix, didn't really care. The prefix was enough to distinguish her from the crowd, as was that front paw she dragged around. How she caught rabbits he'd never understand. She hadn't impressed him as much better at fighting, though he supposed on the one occasion they'd been in the same battle she hadn't perished immediately. He had been somewhat distracted trying to keep what he later learned to be her half-brother away from then Rookpaw, but that was another matter.

That was what made him a bit.....disquieted about Deadwhatever. She had been oddly friendly with Marigoldpaw, who had first introduced them before disappearing, and then with his adopted niece? He didn't know how to define what he and Rookscreech had been to each other, considering they were each adopted into that weird mess of sort of family. No blood relations to speak of, that was for certain, despite the care he had had for her. He hadn't done well enough as an adult figure in her life clearly, given her disappearance and repeated sadness, but he had tried as much as he knew how. His own limit to adult guidance had been Driftstep, gone too soon, and Blackhaze, not too much older than him.

So yes, Deadwhatsherface didn't sit well with him. But Shrewstep wasn't the type to avoid things that made him uncomfortable (except Dawnstar), oh no. He marched right over to her and stared her in the eyes. Or angled his eyes upwards so if she looked at him their eyes would meet. He'd have to take what he could get in the eye contact department. I see you're still kicking around. he mewed, a gruff acknowledgment of the fact that she had, shockingly, survived this turbulent life just as long as he had. Have you managed to actually find some friends in your own clan, or are you still buddying up with Shadowclan cats? This was said more quietly, in case Dawnstar was listening. Or anyone, really. We're allies now, maybe you should just join us at this point. Was this whole spiel unnecessary and cruel? Absolutely. Was Shrewstep, much like he had with Fiercefire, enjoying the ability to spit a little vitriol at a cat who was familiar and easy to dislike? Also absolutely. Was he likely to stop anytime before the fighting began or Dawnstar looked ready to yell at him? Absolutely not.