a daisy for you... [stagheart & daisykit bonding time!]

[squidz]

— STAGHEART —

very large, muscular, & scarred light brown tabby tom with stark blue eyes and a torn ear; beefed up tier 3 | just a scratch

[ riverclan warrior | tomcat | 52 moons | gruff & battle-hardened, yet thoughtful; loyal to a fault ]

—

Stagheart paused at the entrance of the makeshift healing den, hesitating. He'd just sent off Willowpaw to get some rest, his heart aching for the poor young cat. She'd just lost her mother in the midst of the hellish 3v1, and on top of that, all of the kits Brightnight had delivered had died...

...Except one. Daisykit, as named by her sister.

Stagheart was far from the fatherly type... he knew how to mentor young cats, sure, but that wasn't the same as raising a kit. He'd struggled like crazy with Berrypaw, but no one else had wanted to take care of her whenever he'd first brought the mewling, helpless kit back to the Clan... so it had fallen to him. He'd made plenty of mistakes, no doubt, and even more mishaps... but he'd done his best. She turned out pretty good, all things considered, though it was a miracle to him.

Yet now, Willowpaw had earnestly asked Stagheart to visit Daisykit... he'd told her he couldn't be a real father, and yet Willow had still asked him to go, just wanting somebody there for Daisy... and how could he say no? After all their little family had endured...? He was practically the only stable presence in his apprentice's life outside of her brother, and she so dearly looked up to him... even his gruff, stone-cold exterior couldn't reject her pleas. Not that he'd ever admit it, but... there was a heart of gold under that scarred, burly flank. And it had a soft spot in particular for both Willowpaw and Berrypaw...

He finally gathered the courage to duck inside the den. Berrypaw was awake, her green eyes flitting to him with a soft, surprised smile. Poor kid... she looked exhausted, having tended to cats constantly, hardly getting a rest. But she was doing alright... after a few words with her, he quietly asked where Daisykit might be. Berrypaw silently pointed with her tail to a small, fluffy, little puffball in the corner, sleeping away on a soft moss nest that was just barely bigger than her...

Stagheart nodded in thanks, keeping his steps as light as possible as he cautiously approached, not wanting to startle the kit... she looked healthy enough, all things considered, though his heart ached to think of what she'd endured during her chaotic birth and rush up the mountains. Maybe she wouldn't remember any of it from how young she is... and perhaps that'd be best, for now.

He silently sat down near the nest, wrapping his tail over his paws, simply waiting and watching for now... not wanting to disturb the little one's rest.

[ @DdeongJoongie_Tanghulu ]