We Need To Talk (c)

Blazefang paced back and forth as she waited for Silverwing to come meet her. How would she talk to her about this? When she arrived, Blazefang started speaking.
“Come on, sit down. Silverwing, firstly I want you to know nobody’s in trouble. Not you, not Russetpaw. But I am worried. I’ve seen the way Russetpaw acts around you and it has me concerned. She needs to understand that you’re not her responsibility, she’s yours. She puts her pelt in danger to protect you when you’re a warrior who can take care of herself. She’s just an apprentice after all, she’s not yet experienced enough to fight off a foe better than you could. I know if you or Hickorypaw had acted like that when I was training you I would have sat you down and had this talk, but it’s not my responsibility to do that for Russetpaw. It’s yours.”

Blazefang still wanted to talk about something, but they had already learned of all the Windclan cats that had gone missing. If she still wanted to talk to Silverwing it couldn't be good, unless it had something to do with... No, no! She couldn't possibly want to talk about that. Silverwing padded up to her mentor, heart beating fast and a lump of something thick in her throat as she was instructed to sit down. If no one was in trouble, then that meant- oh, this was about Russetpaw? Silverwing's heart slowed as she realized what was going on. Stars, is she disciplining me? At the very least this was all stuff that she was already going to talk to Russetpaw about, but the fact that Blazefang almost seemed disappointed in her hurt immensely. "I know, Blazefang, I know. She said something at Fourtrees that bothers me, I need to talk to her about it, I'm just waiting for the right time is all. She's been through a lot with all that's been happening. The shaking ground, the twolegs, the hike up here. I want to make sure she's fine before I talk to her is all."

Blazefang relaxed a little, noting Silverwing’s tension. She hoped she wasn’t coming off too harsh. She took a step towards Silverwing. “Hey, it’s all right. Things have been crazy lately. I get your decision, just wanted to be sure. I’d hate to see something happen to either of you, is all. Russetpaw’s a good kid, just a bit too confident sometimes. I was the same way at her age.”

Silverwing relaxed slightly as Blazefang continued. I'd hate to see something happen to either of you, those words set Silverwing's heart beating a thunderous tune once more. "Russetpaw's amazing, she's a better apprentice than I could have ever hoped for, but you're right. She's putting herself in danger for my sake, and that shouldn't be happening. I know I'd do the same for you if the situation was different though." Silverwing smiled sweetly at Blazefang as she continued. "I can see where she's coming from, I would risk my life for you, apprentice or warrior, it doesn't matter." Ah, what was she saying? Silverwing shook her head furiously, shaking those thoughts out of her head. " I'll talk to Russetpaw soon, don't worry." She needed something else to talk about, anything! "What were you like at her age anyway? Amazing as usual, right?"

Blazefang was relieved that Silverwing had seen it too. She wasn’t the only one. She blushed a bit at what Silverwing said next. “Thanks, Silverwing. You’re a great friend,” she mewed, a smile on her muzzle. Blazefang couldn’t help but chuckle when Silverwing asked her about her own apprentice days. “Well… much like you, I shared my mentor. Smallbean was still training Brackenwing when I was apprenticed, although she became a warrior pretty soon. I was a real pawful, though! A friend and I snuck into the leader’s den when we were kits, and that was pretty much the kind of apprentice I was. Overconfident, always looking for an adventure. Well, technically the Dark Forest messed that up a bit, but believe me you don’t need to know most of what I saw. Suffice it to say that they deserved the beating we gave them!”

Ah, it shouldn't have been such a shock to hear those words. Smallbean had mentored both of them at the same time? Blazefang and Brackenwing had been apprentices at the same time? But that would mean that Blazefang was old like Brackenwing... Nah, she was still a young and beautiful she-cat, Brackenwing had just matured quicker somehow. "I could never sneak into Shrikestar's den, I'd be too scared of getting caught. I guess you were always just brave, huh?" There it was again, that talk about the Dark Forest. She couldn't get anyone to tell her about it, and it didn't seem like Blazefang was likely to tell her unless she was pushed. Silverwing wasn't capable of that, at least not when it came to Blazefang. She would have to wait to learn more about that then. "Hmm, you say Smallbean was your mentor? Do you know what he likes? Apparently, it's not me." Silverwing needed something to use against him, give her a winning edge to finally make him like her.

Blazefang tried to push down the memories that were coming back to her of all the horrible things the invaders had done. Thankfully, Silverwing changed the subject. “I don’t really know, to be honest. He was my mentor, but we’re not close. I know he’s had a long, eventful life, though. I don’t know what happened with you too but I imagine he was either having a bad day or he just wants peace and quiet because he’s kinda on the older side. Come to think of it, though, it could be the ShadowClan thing. If it helps any, I don’t like them either. It could be worse, though. We could be allied with SkyClan.”

"I doubt it was just a bad day, unless having to be around me makes it a bad day for him." That thing about Shadowclan had been reassuring though, at least until she remembered that this whole affair with Smallbean had started long before Shadowclan's allying with Windclan. Whatever, she would just have to find out how to fix Smallbean on her own. "Skyclan's not so bad, I met one of their kits and she was pretty nice. I think before we had to flee Fourtrees she even became an apprentice, I wish I'd have said something to her..." Ah, and she had also promised to teach that apprentice how to fly. Silverwing did not like the predicament she put herself in, how would Lightningpaw react to finding out that Silverwing couldn't actually fly?

Blazefang sat up, remembering she had one more thing to share with Silverwing. “Hey, Silverwing. Um… I’m pregnant. Before you get all excited, I’m just a surrogate. They’re Mudfern’s kits, and they’ll be his responsibility, not mine. But um yeah, I’m pregnant.”