Don't Tell Me To Smile. {Closed For Dimmeh}

"You said it," chuckled Blacktwig, "except when I stormed in, I was a kit!" Blacktwig wasn't exactly doubling over with laughter, but there was a humorous note to his somewhat stoic voice. His gaze then softened when Bat questioned why he was sorry for asking questions. "Oh... I'd always had a tendency of doing that, and I don't want to get it to the point where it... where it hurts someone." Blacktwig's ear flicked. He hadn't done it before, but his fear of doing so had ate at him. People had done it to him before, certainly, and he disliked it immensely.

Bat simply hummed at this and looked at Pepper. "Let me get your wounds too, Pepper."

She nodded and grabbed a few more dock leaves and cobwebs. She dragged herself to him and he started the simple process. She kneaded the ground and looked at Blacktwig. "Blacktwig, sure, it may upset someone but, if you truly have a questions, ask them." she looked down at her paws for a moment, wincing at the sting of dock leaves. "How are they? M-my kits, I mean." she said.

Bat halted for a split second. He forgot that Pepper even had anyone else besides Blacktwig. Their own kit was dead now. He resumed wordlessly, applying the poultice. He was curious but, not surprised that Pepper knew so little about her kits. Families don't last long when you're a rouge, let alone one with the rest of the family in clan life. Perhaps she kept him steady, gave him some certainty. The only certainty he's ever had.

"Mistywater is good; great, even," purred Blacktwig in reply. He licked a paw, thinking of more. "Stormstrike had more kits with Dapplecloud." He paused for longer, thinking. He expected a joyous reaction to the happy news. "Morningshine is faring well, and Halfpaw is Halfdawn." Blacktwig grinned, tail dancing and guttering. In his eyes marched a steady flame of beatific and untroubled emotion. "Coldbreeze adores the kits, should I say," he said. He finished with a nod, and waited to see her expression as an answer to the news. He expected it be relieved, as none of her kits had died. Leafbare was a cruel season indeed.

Pepper gave a tiny nod and smiled softly. She envied the fact Blacktwig knew all of this. She wasn't aware of Stormstrike's first litter and knew nothing about his mate. Her gaze was tinged with the distant sadness it always had when thinking of her kits. "That's good, I'm glad they've fared well. No troubles." she meowed after a moment of silence.

Bat blinked, moving away to put the leftover herbs away. It was rather frustrating to see Pepper like this. Having such a rare thing like a large family and only ever seeing one of them. He flicked some hay with his tail and returned to hunting. "Whenever you return, try to bring some prey with you. I'm not sure when my next chance will be." he meowed to Blacktwig without looking at him.

Blacktwig looked to Bat with a kind smile and a nod, then looked to Pepper. "I'll be sure to," he meowed to Bat. Leafbare was very scarce with prey. He then looked at Pepper again. "Leafbare hasn't yet taken its toll on anyone, but I don't want to jinx our chances," he said.

She sighed, "I'm just happy for them to last this long." she meowed softly. "I've met a few cats, rather young. They've become my apprentices now." she meowed. The she-cat glanced down at the voles and refrained from eating yet. She'd wait until she was alone, why waste this rare moment eating?

"Oh?" questioned Blacktwig inquisitively, tail waving. "That's wonderful! But I have met a few cats who died young too, and I'd trade my place with them in an instant to save their lives." He gazed at his paws, then back up at Pepper, glad that Mistywater lived long enough for him to be weaned. He wondered what StarClan looked like, and what would happen if he had died under the title of Blackpaw.

She nodded, smiling. "I know you would." the she-cat meowed. "Soon, I'm going to get the barn ready for the growth Greenleaf will bring. Perhaps some extra nests and spots to grow herbs."

"Greenleaf," hummed Blacktwig in a dreamy tone. "I hope it comes soon!" The tom grinned, looking outside. A few smears of snow that hadn't quite melted stuck to the ground. He thought about when the warm season would arrive euphorically. I'll hope that the prey is plentiful, he thought, imagining the bounty the tepid season would bring.