Take it Easy [Mottle]

Things have been busy.. Too busy. Even before this whole situation with missing clanmates and two legs. Starlingflare was busy day in and day out with assisting Thunderclan, and trying to find vulnerable cats and creatures at the same time. It was hard to actually sit down and have a conversation with cats most days. Especially more so difficult to have a conversation with Mottlestar who was on her paws and moving around just as much as he was. He couldn't imagine the toll this current predicament was taking on her, especially with her most recent kits.

The silver tom plucked a plump squirrel from the fresh kill pile before making his way over to the she-cat, placing it at her paws, before looking up at her face. "Care to share food and a conversation?" He asked her, hoping she would accept his offer, though if she was too busy then he would understand.

It seemed like there was a neverending stream of things to do. Especially when it came to rebuilding camp. Time for rest was simply reserved for her dreams at this point, especially with all of her kits now into their apprenticeship. Not to mention, time seemed to fly almost too fast, with Murkypaw already seeming to be ready to get her warrior name. The she-cat's stoic appearances had reminded her quite a bit of a few other cats she'd come to know in the forest, but she loved her daughter all the same. The running list in her mind of ceremonies, patrols, and tasks had been certainly alleviated by having her deputy around to help, but that never meant it ended. Conversations with Perchstar still needed to resume, and she needed to go have a talk with Birdstar still about the roaming warrior on her lands. Eventually... it'd happen.

Lost in thought as she was for the moment, Mottlestar was pulled away as the tom made his appearance. A smile appeared on her maw, and she dipped her head. Starlingflare was perhaps the only cat left in Thunderclan who had been a warrior before she was, and she appreciated the tom's steadfast loyalty even through all the changing seasons. "I'd love to, Starlingflare. Thank you." She purred warmly, dipping her head in greeting. Aside from leaders, he was probably the only cat she truly bowed in respect towards. She might be leader, but he always was someone she respected. If only she knew.

"How have your apprentices been doing in their training? It's... different to see so many apprentices during leafbare." It was much easier for her nowadays to make conversation. Perhaps it came with being a leader and having no choice but to talk to everyone, but for just a moment she recalled the days of being a much quieter molly. "Not wearing you down too hard, I hope?" Mottlestar jested, thinking of Dayquill and how life had been a bit too harsh on him too soon.

The silver tom couldn't help when a little spark of pride rose in his chest. It wasn't often that he had someone show their respect for him, so for Mottlestar to do so made him a little flustered so to speak but he kept his composure. He took his spot by her side, the side on which he could still see from, and nudged the squirrel her way. Silently offering her the first bite of the prey they were to share.

"Things are going well. I certainly don't have the same energy they have that is for sure." He wasn't old by any means, but he didn't have the same youthful spark that all of the apprentices carried. "It's hard to keep up sometimes." He said with a small chuckle. "I can't imagine how you do it, especially with all of your kits." A single yellow eye looked in the leader's direction for a moment before he continued. "But we are very lucky at the same time."

The forest had been harsh on all of them. Her mishapen paw and many scars, Starlingflare's failed eye. All of that served as a reminder of the reality that they lived in. But at the same time, none of it ever deterred the tiny-but-mighty leader. The flame of a fight had been tenderly kindled within her, and now it was a blaze that never seemed as if it was going to go out. She listened to his words, before finally taking a bite out of the squirrel. It was her favorite, but she was sharing, so the leader witheld from scarfing the entire prey down in one go.

Mottlestar couldn't hold back her chuckle at the fact that the youthful energy they once had seemed to be no more. "You could say that again. Even with nine lives, I still feel the leafbare cold a lot more than I used to." Being a shorter-furred molly had its advantages, especially in greenleaf when it seemed that there was nothing but heat constantly packing the forest. But when it came to leafbare? It wasn't nearly as fun. A warm purr rumbled as he mentioned her kits, her tail dancing with a slight bit of amusement. "Ah, well, after some time, I suppose I sort of viewed all of the Clan as my kits. Makes it much easier that way. I've got to take care of everyone, don't I?" Her head tilted his direction, giving him a warm smile. None of her words were meant to be harsh, or unthankful towards her role. It was simply a fact of life to her.

"Say, Starlingflare... What are your thoughts on alliances with the other Clans? I know Thunderclan is sturdy as it is. But I've started to consider it as an option, moreso as a safety blanket. Especially with the twolegs showing just how easy it is to disrupt our daily lives and take some of our strongest." He was a senior warrior, and had seen just as much if not more than she had. It dawned on her that she hadn't sought council much in Starlingflare, but it was something his tenure deserved. It was a note to file away in her mind to start approaching him much more frequently, especially given Dayquill's retirement.

Starlingflare took his own bite of the prey the two were sharing shortly after his leader did. His gaze drifting to somewhere around the camp but he still listened intently to the words Mottlestar was speaking. It was shown in the way his ears were perked up as he chewed silently. It was nice to get some insight to how the leader worked, and it spoke volumes on how Thunderclan worked.

Of course when she brought up the topic of alliances, the warrior swallowed hard, trying hard to not show his disgust for the idea. He feigned being in thought to stave it off so she wouldn't catch on. "I.." He paused for a moment. "I personally don't see it as a good idea. Even as a safety blanket. Other clans always expect something in return or one holds more power over the other in these situations. There are not equals in these situations."

"I don't want Thunderclan to end up in a desperate situation only to have our allies take advantage of our.. unfortunate situation." Not to mention someone would break the alliance and someone would come demanding answers sooner or later. Not to say the one who broke it would be him, but something like that is so easily broken.

Mottlestar gave a nod of her head as she listened to Starlingflare's reasoning. All of it was truly valid. Thunderclan had stood strongly on its own for so long, and honestly, its strength seemed to not even come close to waning. The plethora of apprentices that currently made it so the den was almost overflowing was proof of that. "I appreciate the input. Sometimes, the truth is ugly, but it's still the truth." She stated simply, her head staying tilted just slightly as she seemed lost in her sea of thoughts. It didn't seem to still sway her away from the idea of alliances. But even then, at minimum, remaining neutral with any clans possible was what she wished for the most. Thunderclan was what had her heart, her biggest protection. "It can be tempting to want to make the entire forest happy, but that's just simply not a realistic option." Mottlestar chuckled gently. She was a walking, near-bleeding heart. It was just simply who she was.

Taking another bite of the prey, she savored its taste before her head tilted towards the senior warrior. "Speaking of though, is there anything that I can do for you in particular, Starlingflare?" It wasn't a secret that the small tortoiseshell would give all of her lives for her clanmates. Any day of the seasons. "Get you a break from patrols, maybe give you some time off from having to train your apprentices... You're always so dedicated, even if you want just a bit of time to simply live without responsibilities, I'm sure it could be arranged." She nodded. After all, she'd just persuaded Thistlemask into taking a small break from her duties to recharge. Always going about business simply drained the soul after some time.