Finally, the dens had been rebuilt. The last piece of bramble had been woven into the parts of the nursery that needed it, and once again was strong enough to defend against a predator if it had to. He padded through camp with a limp in his step. Bramble thorns were caught in his pawpad. His first instinct was to see Pricklebush, again, for the herbs the tom used to prevent infections.
As he plucked out the thorns however, he noticed a she-cat from the corner of his eye. Rainpaw... He looked around, but realised that Flamerose hadn't come back with the other cats. Worse, she looked to be in bad shape. The little she-cat seemed to drift around camp, uncertain and maybe confused. He looked down at his throbbing paw and put it down solidly on the ground as he padded to the freshkill pile. No limp to be seen, he wouldn't let it, as he picked up a squirrel and took it to Rainpaw, settling down next to the pale calico.
"Here, you need to keep your strength up." Marshstorm meowed calmly. His gaze was one without judgement, but there was traces of sorrow. The she-cat had never asked to be injured. His heart clenched to realise that he hadn't done something sooner to help her when he noticed her struggling in camp. There was always something he could have done, yet he seemed to have missed it with all the repairs and patrols to plan, with every border having to be remarked and established, prey needing to be caught... the mountain of tasks never really decreased either. He sighed, then looked at her better.
The exhaustion was so painfully obvious he hated himself for missing it.
"Rainpaw... how are you feeling?" He asked, as he thought over potential mentors for the young she-cat. She seemed like a ghost of herself.... but perhaps a mentor would help her out of it. If she felt she had purpose, maybe it would help her.
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Kestrelkit ♀ Marshkit ♂
