golden hour [open]

Warmth had fully returned to the forest. Newleaf typically brought glimmers of warmth and hope, and it seemed those glimmers had taken root and blossomed into its full majesty. Trees now bore leaves and flowers, whose petals would occasionally dance to the forest floor or into the center of camp. Kits would find those petals and play with them, swiping at the air in an attempt to hunt them down like birds. Real birds had returned to the branches in full flight, the chirping of mating calls filling the air, as did the occasional cry of baby chicks that wished for their parents to come tend to their needs. It was how life went on. Squirrels chittered, mice squeaked and dove through the roots of the trees, and the occasional predator stalked in an attempt to find their next meal. Such as the forest went on, as did clan life. Patrols were organized and sent out. Clanmates shared tongues, formed bonds, mentored apprentices.

But as life went on, it had seemed to go on with such a frenzy. For once, it seemed like those storm clouds were finally parting, and it was now on Mottlestar to begin to assess what damage it left behind. To even consider what all went on was nothing short of a whirl-wind. An attempt to recount it all was nigh impossible, and the molly found herself shaking her head more often than not in an attempt to clear her mind of all of it as each memory fought for attention.

Finally, though, it seemed she caught a moment to breathe. The tortoiseshell found herself settled down in camp, the warmth of the lowering sun vibrant on the camp's otherwise barren floor. It soaked into the onyx patches of her pelt, that sensation being savored by the aging molly. Even with her lives, she still felt the affects of growing older. Much more slowly, thankfully, but it still nagged her from time to time.

There were thoughts of what she could do next to be serving her Clan. But as her body had proven to her time and time again, if she didn't take the time to rest herself, it would force her to do such. So here she was, taking a moment of her time, waving a friendly hello with her tail towards any clanmate that passed.

Mottlestar recognized the she-cat instantly, unable to hold back a bit of a chuckle as her deputy seemed to almost go right past her before stopping in her tracks. It had significantly warmed her heart to see the molly blossom into her role, taking it upon herself and better yet, thriving with the opportunities and challenges it seemed to present. The leader certainly hadn't turned a blind eye to the way that her new deputy made it a point to interact with every single clanmate she could, to ensure they all got a genuine time in the day to talk to Acornstem about whatever was on their mind or even enjoy the opportunity to share some company.

"I'm glad to hear, Acornstem. Are you busy? Would you like to take a break with me, just for a moment?" She offered kindly, gesturing to the spot beside her should the deputy feel inclined. "Don't let me stop you if you're busy. It's nice to see you so happy." Mottlestar purred, her signature matronly tone shining through. "When you happen to see Firefly or Rosepaw next, mind letting me know how they are doing? I want to still give them their space, but you know... a mother never stops caring." She gave a gentle laugh, one that hopefully didn't stir any worry with her perceptive second-in-command. Truthfully, it was only because of Acornstem's hard work that she could even afford to take this moment to breathe, anyways.

There was an undeniable ripple of delight as Acornstem seemed to seize the leader's offer with welcoming paws, a warm chuckle once more finding its way in the air at how the brown molly gleefully stretched out to fully relax. It was like watching a flower bloom in the sunlight, going from one form to another. While her deputy certainly kept that pride that was due for her position, she didn't carry that too-serious look in her eye. To say that it did the leader's heart some good to know that the molly had it in her to truly go into 'off-duty' mode was certainly an understatement, especially at Acornstem's mention of one of her daughters. Another spar? That earned an interested raise of a brow from the leader, but the grin on her face told her it was nothing but good news. Perhaps that was what warmed her heart most of all - to know that her deputy had even managed to get through to her little flame. For as bright as she burned, she hadn't known of many to get close to the molly.

Hearing of such news that Acornstem enjoyed her spar with Firefly, even wished for another one, told Mottlestar that she had certainly picked the right deputy.

Part of her should have expected the next question to come from the molly next to her, truth be told. It was an entirely understandable query: why me? A question she had never been able to ask of her mate when he had to step into the role of leader, because the answer seemed obvious enough. But that nagging always seemed to rumble down deep inside of her, the voices that asked and prodded if she was truly the right choice to lead Thunderclan. Perhaps that was why she made it a point to always answer once that question had come up. Thunderclan cats led a life of pride and nobility, but that also meant seeing oneself in a very particular light. It definitely made it hard to attempt to set oneself fully above the rest, and Mottlestar curled her tail gently up against herself as her head stayed inclined towards the warrior beside her.

"Tell me, Acorn- what is the purpose of a stem?" The tortoiseshell prompted. No doubt, her initial response was far from what her deputy would have been expecting. Answering a question with a question was typically bad form, but the tortoiseshell had found herself being somewhat fond of a more cryptic, prompting style of discussion in recent times. Perhaps it was her way of bonding, of being able to truly pull her clanmate's opinions from themselves, rather than guessing them on her own.

Nodding at whatever her answer would be, the leader continued. "I gave you the name Acornstem not just because it sounded nice. A stem is what connects one part of a plant to another- the bond between two things. If I had to name anybody in this Clan to be the 'glue' between much of our clanmates beyond myself, you are the very first cat I can think of. You care for everyone, already have made it a point to talk to just about everybody in this clan... and you care. Your heart mirrors my own." The way she spoke, it was the voice of a loving mother. Of praise, a pride that had been well deserved more than simply owed by some kin-formed bond. "My choices in a second-in-command had typically mirrored this feeling that I needed an opposite for Thunderclan's leadership to be whole. But now, I felt that we needed a new approach."

"Thunderclan... Our clan has been hurt by the forest. Not just physically, but deep down. Our hearts have been wounded. Part of that is my fault, and I fully accept that. But our Clan... we need a strong-beating heart. If anything should happen, I could never leave this forest behind knowing that Thunderclan was left behind without one. Left instead with a heart made of ice, shadow or cold. Perhaps it took me two tries to get it right, and a little bit of a smacking from a Starclan tom when I had lost one of my lives... But that isn't my point." She had been rambling just a little bit, voicing some of her thoughts. Acornstem was such an easy cat to talk to, who listened and seemed to care. Stars, she saw so much of herself in the molly beside her.

"I chose you because you embody the strong-beating heart of Thunderclan. Each step you take, each conversation you have with your clanmates... you embody what this Clan stands for. What Minnowfin and myself have fought the hardest to guide our clan to be. Strong as the roots of the four Great Oaks, a connected family. Pride in who we are, but welcoming and comforting to those hurt and who need help. A smiling face, and a friend whose shoulder they can lean on." The poetic words hadn't truly been expected from Mottlestar herself, but they were all true. She believed each and every one of them. But the youth that still shone in the tortoiseshell also crept along her spine, and before she could stop herself, Mottlestar couldn't help the joke that followed soon after.

"Plus-Your tail reminds me of a squirrels, and they're my favorite. So maybe I'm a little biased." She ducked her head afterwards, fully expecting a cuff to her ears.