The sun was just peeking over the horizon, bathing the moor in its warm golden light- driving away the chill from the brisk wind that swept over the grasses. It was too early, far too early for Russetpaw to be up- and yet she was, not running over the moor as she always did. There was no excited chatter floating over the breeze, no comically-serious stare as she hunted a rabbit, no gales of laughter washing over the moor.
This was long overdue.
Russetpaw stood in a small hollow, not far from camp and protected from the worst of the wind. Here, the sun had not yet risen. At her paws was a pitiful collection of small objects- a scrap of golden grass, a surprisingly large rabbit skull, the season’s last beautiful flowers. Not much- but it was all the young she-cat had.
“Hey…” she began, almost awkwardly, speaking only to the moor-grass around her and the stars slowly disappearing overhead. “Sorry I didn’t get around ta this, earlier… Sleepypaw- that’s my bestest friend, Sleepypaw- gave me this idea… but with all the craziness, I jus’ wasn’t able ta get out, and I didn’t wanna do this with anyone else here… ya know.”
With a sigh, the red-pelted apprentice sat down, wrapping her tail around her paws. “I- I really miss ya. Still. I know its’ been awhile, leastaways for me… but I ain’t forgetting ya. I… I wish you were here. Really. Really badly. Even- even when I’m having fun with my bestest friend and mentor, sometimes somehtin’ will remind me of you… but I know ya wouldn’t want me to skulk around- an’ I won’t, promise! Jus’… just wanted to talk to you, by myself-like. I left ya some things… I dunno if this is rye or not,” she admitted with a small smile. “And I caught this rabbit, all by myself! It was huge! And I found some flowers… pretty ones. Silverwing- that’s my mentor, she’s the best- said they’re probably the last of the season. Isn’t that cool?”
For a few minutes, Russetpaw simply stood there, feeling the wind rustle the grass around her. “I’d best be going,” she said at last, turning to leave, “but I just wanted ya to know I haven’t forgotten ya. G-goodbye…”
A single bound brought her to the top of the rise, the morning light silhouetting her against the sunrise, an apprentice, soon-to-be-a-warrior, the same cat who had mourned her brother’s death, yet different. It was with a lighter heart that Russetpaw headed back to Fourtrees, with a skip in her step, as if she’d completed some business long overdue.
