Goosefury fought the urge to roll his eye. Why were apprentices always so literal about everything? His words had been a warning, nothing more - though maybe Adderpaw realized this when she actually made an effort to calm herself. The squall calmed with her, as did the tide that crashed against the cliffs. The sounds of the waves seemed far-off now.
"StarClan isn't one singular entity," he explained.
"There are thousands of us here, most of whom opt to keep to themselves. The ones who do reach out to the living with useful information seem to be rare these days. Those who live in the Dark Forest bring yet another factor, as they can choose to fiddle with cats as they wish and there's not much we can do about it. If one of us choose to reach out, it tends to be to the Clan they feel most deserving. I find that usually ends up being the one they came from while they ignore the others. I, for one, wouldn't ever dare speak to any living soul from ShadowClan. They deserve nothing from me."
He led her to where the lush undergrowth met the rocky cliffs and slipped through the brush, following the path that opened up before him to a quiet glade.
"I do understand where you're coming from. It's difficult to watch the cats you put your faith in discard it as if it's worthless, and I'm not discounting your feelings. It's admirable that you want to take up that role."
With a roll of his shoulders, he sat down amongst the grass and draped his tail over his forepaws. Like the storm, the frustration in his eye had dulled.
"No, my bird problem isn't something your Clan has ever needed to concern itself with, and I doubt they would have enough information to speak anything of the Wardens. The Wardens help govern the line between life and death as a council of sorts. Those who successfully plead their case may be granted another chance at living, so long as I'm not there to tell them no." He had never liked the idea of it anyway - resurrections and reincarnations.
"Too many cats have managed to slip past the barrier before. Birdsnow and Mistyshard, examples you might find relevant." His upper lip twitched before he set his expression straight again.
"But that's another topic.
"Sometimes difficult choices need to be made to ensure things keep moving. It's a necessary fact of both life and death. I'm not saying that you in particular need to take up the mantle at nine moons old and raise the Clan back from the dead single-pawed if Fadingsun were to die tomorrow, but for every 'best so far' leader you settle for, you take a dozen steps back. Given the too-long line that started with Snowleap, your Clan might as well be walking itself into its own grave. You were a disaster during the raid ThunderClan launched - fighting your own, calling for retreat from your own camp, yowling nonsense about stopping the fight to the point lightning had to strike your Floodstone in the very midst of the battle in order to cease it. And I feel like you're aware of this. But you're worried about the possibility of another Clan wiping you out if you're divided down the middle as if WindClan and ThunderClan haven't already been breathing down your necks and then breaking them."
A puff of breath left his jaws.
"If advisor is the game you'd like to play, then it isn't too early to start. If they don't listen, you need to make them. If you'd like my help... I'm not opposed to smiting a few more cats for you until they open their ears, so long as you're actually putting the effort in." Messing with the living might actually turn out to be fun in the long run.
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