She could have all the reservations she wanted, but it didn't change reality. Lives were so sparingly given for the Clans who wasted them, and outside of some other Dark Forest cat this was probably her only shot for some time. Accepting was wise; he'd keep his promise that nothing shady was going on - for now. Future Jaystride wouldn't promise anything if it didn't benefit his own somehow.
He kept it brief, for both their sakes. No offense to Owlstar but his tolerance of FishClan had always been low, and to a spirit of his time Firefly Cove was still fresh in his memory.
He closed the distance to boop her forehead. The touch was brief but icy and would burn like fire, with the sensation ebbing into a warm burst of energy. She might feel like she could lift the mountain RiverClan once climbed.
"With this life, I give you VITALITY. You are your Clan's rock, your drive is their drive. If you falter, they will fall. Use this life not only for your own health, but to energize your Clan for a more promising future." The corner of his mouth twitched.
"And try not to lose this one immediately like your last leader did. Sometimes - you have to put yourself first in order to keep your Clan strong."
Dying to a coyote, especially for a cat not worth their weight in sand. Disgraceful. It'd be one thing if they had the extra lives for it, but they needed to be smart with what they got. Throwing it away willy-nilly was a fool's errand.
"Now wake up, you've got a Clan to get back to."
[ @
Marigoldwhisper ]