Firefly Cove

[Thornwolf]

Originally Posted by Cxndy_Fatal

@Fenixwolf



|| LeafHeart ||



The shecat couldnt help but give a small chuckle. The dark ginger feline moved her shoulder right before Moonpaw had been able to land bite. "Alright alright, get off." She mrowed, shoving up against the smaller cat. The air was thin, cool, and quite frankly smelt amazing, Leafheart was all up for the weather that was being displayed. She shook her pelt, it had rained recently and the wet grass was wetting her pelt. "Come on kid. We cant get muddy and have fun if youre just pinning me." She joked.

Moonpaw - they/them/She/Her

Moonpaw smiled, as she stepped off, she looked around “if you’re happy then i’m happy Leafheart!” she said, excited “and the weather looks great!”
Moonpaw didn’t really have much to say, but she was happy

[Rxcket_p]

@Fenixwolf


|| Leafheart ||

The ginger shecat laughed. "I like you, kid." She meowed, putting hef large fluff tail around Leafheart. "I thought It'd HATE having an apprentice, but you aint half bad!" She admitted, patting Moonpaw on the head and winking at her. "You'll make one heck of a warrior."

[Thornwolf]

Originally Posted by Cxndy_Fatal

@Fenixwolf


|| Leafheart ||

The ginger shecat laughed. "I like you, kid." She meowed, putting hef large fluff tail around Leafheart. "I thought It'd HATE having an apprentice, but you aint half bad!" She admitted, patting Moonpaw on the head and winking at her. "You'll make one heck of a warrior."

Moonpaw - She/Her

Moonpaw's face made it clear she was happy "i'm glad you're happy Leafheart" she said. "Thank you Leafheart!" she meowed after hearing that her mentor think she'll be a great warrior

[taillow]

Cindersky
The days felt more free since she had regained her warrior status. Able to wake up without the weight of millions of expectations on her shoulders left Cindersky looking forward to the day and planning out what needed to be done. She had started her morning off with hunting and patrolling, and now with the sun starting its descent into the sky the silver bengal figured she would take a trip out to Firefly Cove. There had to be some pretty flowers there she could surprise a certain golden she-cat with, right?

The more and more she thought about her mate, the more she realized how this love was so different than the rest. Her heart soared whenever she was around her, and butterfly wings tickled her stomach as they took flight in a disorganized formation. Unknown to her was how strong and solid love could be, but Cindersky knew that the foundation she had Nectarflame had built was made to withstand season after season. Like the great trunk of the tree they had run into each other at that first night, all those moons ago. Where Cindersky had first started to understand just how much she cared for the golden bengal.

Reaching the cove just as beautiful rays from the dying sun lit up the field, Cindersky stopped to let the scents wash over her. They tingled, dancing underneath her nose and causing her to sneeze. It was followed by a soft chuckle as she shook her head to clear it of any post-sneeze fog. Hopefully none of the flowers she picked would make her sneeze too much - she still had to go back to give them to Nectarflame.

Working her way around the field she took her time in gathering a variety of different colors - blues, purples, yellows, reds - to make the bundle look bright and beautiful. Of course, her mate would outshine the entire meadow if she was out here. But that didn't mean Cindersky couldn't find a few and gift them to her love. (Was she going to also use this time to talk about potentially starting a family? Perhaps).

With her head stuck in looking for flowers, Cindersky barely registered the snapping of a twig nearby. But a rustle in the surrounding undergrowth drew her head up and she swung her gaze around. No scents came to her as the wind caressed her face, so gingerly she set the flowers down. "Hello?" she called, wondering if it was another Clanmate - or maybe even Nectarflame, coming to check on her. With a smile, Cindersky let out a little trill. "Love, if you're there, you know you can-"

There was more she was planning to say. But a large figure lumbering out from the bushes turned her blood to ice and her pupils into slits. Badger. Large paws swiped towards her and Cindersky let out a startled yelp as she had to scramble back to avoid being in the line of fire. It was then she noticed, off to the side of the meadow and hiding behind a tree, were what appeared to be two baby badger cubs. Stars. How had she not noticed them??

There was no time to think of it now as the ThunderClan warrior snarled. Once more the badger lumbered forward and Cindersky took advantage of the slow gait it moved with. Ducking under the large arm she struck upwards quick as a snake and latched her teeth into the underside of his arm. Scarlet blood flowed from the impact of her bite and she heard a roar of agony from somewhere above her. Using her fastened teeth as an anchor she scored her claws down the underside of the creature, glad that she had utilized a nearby tree before her outing to sharpen her claws.

More wails echoed around the cove as Cindersky finally released her bite and sprung backwards. Her hackles raised and claws out, she let out another furious snarl and lunged again, this time aiming to rake her claws across the badgers face. But before she could land on her target she felt the air rush out from her lungs as something slammed into her side and sent her flying across the meadow. Landing with a thud, Cindersky felt her eyes roll back and stared up at the sky, unable to tell if she was still moving or if it was just the ground.

Another ferocious snarl snapped her from her daze and she heaved herself back onto her paws to turn and face the badger. It was clear she had stumbled upon the cubs without noticing, and this was the mother. She would have to think quick to get herself out of this situation - and think quick she did. Running towards the badger, Cindersky leapt at the last possible moment in an attempt to land on the badgers back - but just as she was sailing overhead she saw the creature rear backwards and shoot its own claws up.

The pain that followed felt like fire. Cindersky let out a yowl of pain, involuntary tears springing to her eyes as scarlet blood flowed from the gashes left behind in her flank. Once more she tumbled to the ground, but this time she shook as she tried to get back to her paws. Her blue eyes found the badger and it roared again, only the roar died into a whimper of sorts as the first wound she had caused it seemed to tear a bit. What began as anger cries turned into pitiful squeals as the badger came back down onto all fours, lumbering away through the forest. Cindersky couldn't see the direction it had gone, but she knew that her time was limited to get back.

Time seemed to slow as she finally got to her paws, ignoring the wave of dizziness that washed over her. Black dots spotted her vision but she was able to make it over to her dropped bundle of flowers. "N...Nectarflame." She had to see her mate. If she couldn't make it to Sundust, she had to see her mate one last time. Scooping up her little makeshift flower bundle, Cindersky began to limp back towards camp.

There was so much she had left to do - she was suppose to be here for Sparrowflight while the she-cat made the transition to leadership. She was suppose to give advice to Bumblebreak on how to mend her heart after the loss of her love. She was suppose to watch Cloudyflight who was like a daughter to her, welcome kits into the Clan with Brightpath. She was suppose to ease Softpaw's worried about becoming a warrior and reassure her that she would be the best ThunderClan had ever seen. She was suppose to tell Nectarflame how she had never loved another cat like her, how she was the gravity that kept Cindersky rooted to reality at times.

"H-Help!" Her voice was hoarse, her path detailed by the oozing blood that fell freely from her deep gashes. She was almost there. She was so close. Scents of her beloved Clan flooded her nose. Everything would be alright. She would see Sundust, she would get patched up, and then she would be able to laugh about this while her former apprentice scolded her for her recklessness. Everything would be fine. Everything -

A cough racked her body causing Cindersky's steps to falter. With the break in momentum, the senior warrior stumbled a bit before finally feeling the ground rush up to meet her. No. This was not how her story was suppose to end! ThunderClan... her home was being ripped away from her, and she was just mere tail-lengths from the entrance. There had to be more time, there just had to be!

But death waited for no one - Cindersky was no exception to that rule. She was no one special, just another cat in a long line of loyal, hardworking ThunderClanners who had given her all to help turn the Clan around. Her breathing began to slow, flank rising and falling less and less. But she fought to hang on, just a little longer. She wanted the last thing she saw to be those beautiful emerald eyes...

[ @implimm - Hi hello please forgive me for this I can't imagine anyone else finding her though and having a last moment ]

[plum]

[ @marni ]

The last few days had been so full of excitement and movement for the whole of ThunderClan. Fortune and misfortune both held them close, though the senior warrior was more inclined to hold steady in the faith that these changes were going to be for the better. In spite of their loss, and in spite of her mate stepping away, and in spite of that young tom being called upon as their new deputy- Things were turning for the better. Her mind had been made from the moment the last meeting ended.

What needed to happen next, though... Well, that was where the golden she-cat showed hesitation. She was not quite up there in age, not realistically. But she was no longer young and full of boundless energy either. If she were to become a mother now, at this age, what would that look like? The she-cat needed time to delve deeper into this, so going hunting alone (or at least going outside) was meant to help her to resolve the matter. Would kits like her, an older warrior who could sometimes seem crude? Would they hate being around her, associated with her, related to her? Would these hypothetical kits even be related to her? It did not take a genius to look at her and her beloved and see that they would have to be creative in the kit department. A little bit of heat flushes her face and neck at the mere thought of discussing this all with Cindersky- And at the thought of asking her who would be the one to carry the kits, if they wanted the kits to be related by blood to one of them.

And if Cindersky were to carry their kits, how would Nectarflame handle it? The heat beneath her pelt spreads as a spark of jealousy kindles in her chest. Perhaps her love would handle those emotions better than she would- And in that case, the golden Bengal wanted to be the one to carry their kits. Then she would have nobody to feel this childish petty jealousy for, and her mate would be fine as well. Indeed, she would probably propose this way over the other when the time came to propose the idea to Cindersky, despite knowing that even if Cindersky were the one to carry their kits the only cat she would look at would still be Nectarflame.

Running the potential scenarios in which she would ask her mate about this in her head, the she-cat absentmindedly tries to hunt. Empty motions containing no thought whatsoever guide her body through the haze she was mentally surrounding herself with. "Hey honey, I was thinking earlier and wanted to know your opinion of kits. No, I know you love children. I mean for us." She sniffs disdainfully at that one. "Cindersky. Kits. Do you want some?" Oh StarClan no. Nerves seemed to be getting the better of the senior warrior- a Keeper (she was not the biggest fan of that name but her love was proud of it, so she would take the opinion to her grave).

"I want to start something wonderful together," Nectarflame meows aloud. "A family." She sets a paw down on a stone submerged in the water that saturated the outer parts of the cove, then reels it back up with a distasteful click of the tongue. Giving it a few quick shakes, the she-cat sighs and sits back on her haunches. Cindersky would not care how the question was put forth, she knew this. Taking a long, deep breath, the honey colored cat does her best to wash away her inhibitions and leave them behind as she rises back to her paws to get moving again. She might have been outside to get her thoughts in order, but she still did intend to hunt.

But StarClan worked in questionable, often cruel ways. The scent of blood permeates the forest, unraveling like a thick and stifling quilt. Nectarflame had barely stood up when the pungent odor forced its way down her throat and deep into her lungs. It was so sickeningly thick that it caused even the senior warrior to sway for a heartbeat, though she catches herself from falling in a quick catch of her footing. Fear and nausea did not prevent the she-cat from moving though, and in another moment she is sprinting through the thick miasma of blood in search of the source, relying on all of her senses (especially the alarm bells sounding loudly in her head) to tell her when she was getting closer. And she finds it, where all of this blood was initially spilled at least- A mess on the grass, the soil, in the water of the cove. And the thick stench of badger. Disgust registers at the back of her throat, and Nectarflame attempts to discern where the wounded cat went after the attack.

And it would not be difficult for even a young kitten to say, to follow the trail of blood across the territory. The metallic reek of blood completely smothered other scents, but Nectarflame had a path to follow as clear as the sun in the sky. And she follows it quickly, the heart in her chest thundering louder than it ever had before for some reason- Something was wrong about this. Something was inexplicably Wrong, and while she could not fathom what was happening, her entire body began to shiver and scream louder and louder at her to hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry.

Until she made it.

A guttural, strangled noise bubbles up and out from Nectarflame and she nearly falls, only keeping herself upright by sheer instinct. "Love," she somehow says without throwing up despite the desire to do so- Instead the golden Bengal falls towards her mate, lowering herself to her side. Every single one of her senses had ignited into a blaze and her surroundings (badger or not) collapsed into nothing like a dying star. There was something inside of Nectarflame that began to eat away at her, and it was not going to stop- No, perhaps it never would now.

Pointlessly, the she-cat presses a paw to the largest wound her mate had sustained to try and staunch the bleeding. Maybe it would work, maybe... Maybe the stench of death would disappear.

[taillow]

Cindersky
There had been at least four instances where time had moved slow in Cindersky's life. Each memory was imbedded within her mind, tightly bond by the cobwebs of emotion. The first had been the day her parents had died. Standing on the edge of the riverbank, staring desperately into the smoke filled territory in anticipation for them to have been pulled out - only to see Lionstorm return alone. He had tried, she knew that fully now, but StarClan had other plans.

Second had been the day her first mate had died. Watching claws rip her open, tears spilling onto the ground to mix with the scarlet blood that was too much, there was too much of it. Cindersky remembered how it had stained her paws, chest, cheeks as she molded her body around that of her first love. Sobs shaking her as she tried to tie her love to the earth, to keep the already still body from leaving her alone as her sister stood nearby, a grating laughter filling the air. Branches angling outwards and arching over the scene, almost as if protecting it from the rest of the world.

The third time had been meeting Nectarflame among the branches of that same tree. Seeing into emerald eyes that shone with much more depth than any cat knew the golden bengal to have - but not Cindersky. She had known from the second that she had joined ThunderClan, the golden bengal was special. That she had a destined path to follow, that they would be in each others lives. Paws that were able to carry her to far away paradises and whisk her sadness away with a simple touch of a nose to hers.

And now. Realizing that the only thing in this entire world she had ever wanted was now with her. Sighing softly, Cindersky felt as though she could finally relax, falling back more into Nectarflame. Her love, the one cat she would fight StarClan and the Dark Forest for, and all four Clans if it meant keeping her here. They had been through so many trials and tribulations that to have it end here seemed unnaturally unfair. There was so much left she wanted to say, wanted to do...

"Do you remember..." she began breathlessly, her deep blue eyes lifting up towards the sky, "the night we met by that tree? It was just... after Dawnstar... had come." A small, quiet cough interrupted her words, eventually fading away with the gentle breeze. "I was... so mad at you." Chuckling lightly Cindersky allowed her head to fall back as well, onto Nectarflame's paws. She was able to see her now - that gorgeous face that always left her speechless. Emerald eyes that reminded her of the trees her mate loved to climb so much.

"I'm so... sorry. For not realizing sooner... that I loved you." If she could go back in time, she would set aside the pathetic need for validation from her Clan. The desire to remain, in their eyes, a good cat. An upstanding warrior. One worthy of keeping in the Clan. It was all nothing, reduced to little more than the dust she walked upon if it meant not having Nectarflame. "Thank you... Nectarflame. For loving me... and for helping me realize... that I deserve to be happy."

There were so many other cats, and as another quiet sigh left her, Cindersky knew her time was short. Already black dots were crowding her vision, ripping the green foliage from view and replacing it with glittering stars. "Please... tell Sparrowflight that she will be a fine leader. I... can't imagine ThunderClan being in better... paws. I couldn't be... more proud. I will be... watching over her." Her deputy. Her friend. The cat she knew would finish restoring ThunderClan to its former glory. There was not a single cat in the entire forest better fit for the job. Sparrowflight was the leader ThunderClan had been praying for. "Tell her... she was like a sister to me... And that I know she can do this."

Time was trickling away now, seemingly slow but simultaneously leaving Cindersky like morning mist in the sunlight. "Cloudyflight..." Her apprentice. A cat she had been convinced would never trust her - until the day she had. "Remind her that... she holds greatness in her paws. Just as long... as she believes in them." Stubborn her apprentice had been, not one to give her heart out and yet yearned for love just as Cindersky had when she had been an apprentice. Cloudyflight was so much more to her now; like Softpaw, she was her daughter, a cat that even in death she swore she would look after.

Stars... things were feeling foggy, and her blue eyes left the sky to look at Nectarflame. She just had to hang on. Somewhere along her flanks she was certain that the blood was still trickling out but she could no longer feel it; pain had left her just as the territory around her was melting into the stars. "Bumblebreak." Her daughter. She knew the stubborn she-cat would never admit to how close their shared bond was to anyone outside of her, and it reminded Cindersky so much of her younger moons. "Tell her... I am so proud... of the warrior she's become. And that letting others in... will never be a sign of weakness. There were so many days... where her strength kept me going. I love her... like she's my own daughter..." A soft smile. "Please... watch over her for me." Another found daughter... if only there had been time to tell her.

Softpaw. Oh stars, Softpaw. Tears glistened in her eyes now, and a quiet whimper came from her. This was the one cat she felt her heart break in two leaving. "My little warrior... Softpaw." Nectarflame was blurry now, golden hues of her fur blending into the sky until they were one, and Cindersky wasn't sure what exactly she was looking at. "She finally found... her voice. Please remind her... to always use it. My kit. My precious... daughter. She is going to live... such a full life." Becoming a warrior. Softpaw eventually having her first litter of kits... Events that Cindersky had longed to be around for.

It was getting dark now. Was the sun setting? Or had it always been night time? Another sigh and Cindersky's lids half-closed over glazed blue eyes. The territory was gone from her sight now, replaced by glittering stars and swaths of pastel blues and purples. It was then she saw them. Tiny little bundles. Mewling and crying out, batting the air playfully. "N..Nectar..." Was it happening? Was this the family she had longed for? Four little kits, mewling eventually subsiding as they all curled up together. "Our kits. Our little family.... Do you... see them, my love? They're so... beautiful." Was this StarClan's gift to her, to show her they had finally forgiven her? She had made so many mistakes in life - but Nectarflame, and this love... it had not been one of them.

"I will love you until the stars burn out."

Her voice was quiet now, eyes opening once more to look at Nectarflame. To become lost in the sea of green, to find herself floating amidst pink clouds, her soul intertwining itself with the sky. Her flank had become slow, much too slow to hold any semblence of life anymore. Paws grew still, her stub of a tail drooping. Light that had once occupied her eyes was now replaced with clouds and stars, gazing sightlessly at the sky above as her head, finally, went limp.

[ @implimm @Slushie @WinterMara @poppy. @Jayvines - for the viewing purposes ]

[plum]

[ @marni ]

Cindersky knew she meant too much to too many to go yet, she had to. And yet there they were, the star-crossed fools, dreading the inevitable as it came upon them both in its relentless and unforgiving crushing nature. Nectarflame kept her paws pressed over the extreme gash, but it kept on bleeding right through her toes. For a warrior who dedicated nearly her entire life to serving her Clan, and the ancestors of that Clan who were not even in any relation to her, the futility that drenched this moment only served to tell her one thing: She was in no position for miracles to be granted.

And Cindersky, sweet Cindersky would never ask.

She spoke softly now, in short breaths, of the past and how she felt. But the golden Bengal only wanted her mate to think of their future, and the potential they could still have. "Hold on, my love," she whispers delicately. "You will tell me of these things later, regain your strength..." The fragile falter behind her tone shatters, a shaking sob stretching to the back of her throat in an abrupt gasp. She knew that in reality, she would be alone tonight. Alone tonight, the next, and every night beyond this pawful that would destroy her entirely. "Your role here has not yet been completed," Nectarflame mewls, thinking of everything her mate was to her and to the rest of their Clan. But denial stopped nothing, least of all Death.

"I would give you anything and everything I could possibly strive to obtain, my love. Flowers and happiness and peace and love... The freshest catch of the day, the brightest flower of the bunch, the softest and sweetest touch... A family, Cindersky, kits..." The warrior knits her brows together and frowns before dipping her head down and nudging her mate by the shoulder. "We... We should start a family, you and I. You are already moth-mother to so many.... I want that for us, privately, too..." Her eyes prickle and begin to fill with tears yet to spill over.

Cindersky went on, anyway, on about those she felt kinship with during her life there in the forest. Sparrowflight, Cloudyflight, Bumblebreak, Softpaw... After every confession, every soft note her mate made on these cats, Nectarflame quietly promised to do as told. She had no other choice now, when they both knew what was coming- She had no other choice than to accept the dying words of the love of her life. Yet with every slow drawl that she withstands from Cindersky, the world around her grows colder, with every quiet line spoken between them, the colors that made life so beautiful became more and more muted until, at last, everything was gray.

Her love grows tired, and Nectarflame watches this. She watches her, as her gorgeous eyes flutter nearly shut. The pain and loss of blood was probably... Probably too much, now, as her eyes glaze over with a far-off look. Nectarflame studies her dear mate closely for so long before the pressure she was placing on the biggest wound lightens up. Slowly, the golden cat removes her paws and lets out a cry without words, inching closer and curling up to tangle her limbs among those of her mate, to lie with her and share their warmth. As Nectarflame presses her nose to her cheek in a gentle and trembling motion she lets out a despairing laugh. "I see them, honey, I... I... W-what are their names? That one, h-he looks just... like you. Or- Or his sister? S-shall we name them together, dearest?" It was so damn hard to talk, her throat hurt so badly just withholding the sobs that wanted to run her over.

And Nectarflame never receives an answer.

"Oh..." A shaking breath tries to make its way into her chest as she struggles to get any closer to Cindersky than she already had- pressing their heads together lightly as her mate loses her strength. "I love you," Nectarflame replies, meeting the searching, empty gaze of her lover.

In the following moments, as the spirit of her mate makes her departure for Silverpelt, Nectarflame sets her head down over her body and lies curled up with her. If she could just keep her warm enough for long enough, then... No, no. It was useless. A low drone fills her ears. The noise of the forest, though she could not tell what it was for some time- And some time later, upon the realization that it had been her making that pitiful noise all along, her heart would break all over again.

[plum]

[ @Jayvines, @marni ]

She was still curled up there, alone. Nectarflame had done her best, once she had emptied herself of all the tears which could be shed at once, to clean the silver fae. She was beautiful even now, although in death every cat appeared so much smaller than they ever seemed in life. A gut-wrenching sight but one Nectarflame took in all the same. When they arrive at that point, between the cove and camp (again, so tragically close...) she simply stops and stares down at her mate.

She says nothing, but inhales as though preparing something to say. And, exhales wordlessly too, a shattered breath the only indicator that the thick despair that gripped the golden Bengal had not yet gone away. No, it would not depart for some time.

She stands there silently, for whatever Sparrowflight wanted to say or do, and only when she is certain that the silence among them was going to last does she attempt to say anything at all: "You were her sister."

[Jayvines]

~ Sparrowflight ~

The lack of answer to her question was disconcerting, and the silent hurried trek through the territory even more-so. Chossing to decide that whatever had happened couldn't possibly be too bad if she wasn't sharing any information, the smaller molly trotted along beside her and tried to settle the tumultuous storm of possibilities in her head.

Nectarfame seemed fine besides the blood on her paws--STARS it was a lot of blood. Whatever had happened must have been shaking, but they'd get through it. Nectarflame was a force to be reckoned with--all of Ridgeclaw's apprentices were--and when they stuck together they could move mountains, just like they did with---

Brown paws jolted to a halt as a familiar silver pelt came into view; curled up and somehow... smaller(?) than how Sparrowflight usually saw her, and was that--oh stars, she had been bleeding!

Rushing over to the older she-cat (as Nectarflame seemed at a loss for words) Sparrowflight quickly dropped the mixed up herbs from her mouth to the ground before nosing around Cindersky's pelt to try and find the wounds that had crippled her so.

Stars, please let Sundust and Rosepaw be following. Why was she so cold??? Was that--oh Starclan, that was a big cut.

Desperately licking at Cindersky's fur to try and wake her up, the tan molly only paused briefly in her task as Nectarflame's words reached her ears. A sharp jab to her heart stunned her briefly as the meaning sunk in, before a rumbling growl escaped her throat.

"What on earth," she stated between frantic licks. "Are you going on about? Why... Why aren't you helping me?! We have to---oh stars, we have to get her up and home. Sundust--Sundust and Rosepaw can help! They can help!"

Why wasn't she warming up?! No huffs or moans of pain escaped her, even though her wounds were deep, and that terrified Sparrowflight more than anything. The absolute stillness that resided in her friend--no, her sister's body was indicitive of one thing. An ailment not even the most talented medicine cat could cure.

nonononononONONONONONONONONONO

Desperation and fear clawed their way up her throat as she grabbed a random leaf from her pile and began chewing it up like Sundust had done for her paws, before spitting it out and smearing it haphazardly over the biggest of Cindersky's injuries.

She couldn't be... this couldn't be happening. They still had to go to the Starcave together. She... she promised to be there for me! She promised!

A snarl of frustration escaped her jaws and a desperate glare was shot Nectarflame's way as she returned to her grooming of the silver molly.

"WHY WON'T YOU HELP ME?! WE NEED--WE NEED WEBs and... and..."

Everything around her seemed blurry. Skewed in a way that puddles skewed the ground. Why was her face wet? She couldn't... There was no time to cry, she had to save her!

[ @implimm ]

[plum]

[ @Jayvines ]

As she stands there, watching her Clanmate do everything under the dying sun to save Cindersky, a strange bitterness rises up within. Sparrowflight should have known better! "She is gone," Nectarflame snarls.

A moment later, regret punctures another wound in her chest. "Do you have no shame, acting this way before me, Sparrowflight..." The words which fell from her tongue like dried petals off of a plucked flower sounded... Spent. Weariness encompassed the older molly now, melted into the grief that clung like burrs to her pelt.

"She needs to get home..." Again, her mew was soft and broken. It would not be hard for the future leader to hear the readiness to cry again in these words. "I just need to bring her home. Please... Help."