ghosts in these walls [c]

Busy as always, the undersized gray and white tom was engrossed in splitting herbs from their stems into well-organized piles. He liked having everything neat for the ease of access just in case of, well, anything. In the time since the battle, his mind felt fractured, all over in hopes of digesting the tragedies he had witnessed. Fleeting memories would cause panic to rise in his chest. Flashes of blood, the yowls of his clanmates, it had all left an impact on Littlesplash as lasting as the wound that festered on his throat.

Healing had been slow due to the rough and jagged nature of the injury, which had resulted from the vicious tearing of the Skyclan warrior's teeth. He remembered rage-filled eyes, burning as the tom had walked towards him... Littlesplash jumped slightly as Poppyshine's voice shook him back to the presence. Dipping his head in an apologetic gesture, the medicine cat meowed softly, "Sorry, I didn't hear you come in, Poppyshine."

He paused to settle the herbs that were between his paws and turned towards the deputy. As he spoke once more, his voice was rough and hoarse, "I'm doing... okay. How are you holding up? Is there anything you need?" Speaking was uncomfortable but he didn't mind, Littlesplash loved the companionship of his clanmates, particularly those he'd gotten to know since kithood. He offered her a meek smile, hoping to give some measures of reassurance.

From kithood, the tom had always seen their deputy as a spark of brightness. She was a contrast to Perchstar, a compliment in many ways. The leadership pair had guided the clan through so much, each offering their own strengths. Now, as he glanced at Poppyshine, he could see some of that spark fading. It stirred in him a memory from moons ago; one that was hazy due to the fact he had been so young at the time. A smile twitched at the edge of his lips remembering the far off place he'd been born into, hope in the midst of debilitating sickness, "Do you still have the pebble I gave you?"

A broad smile painted his maw. After everything the clan had been through, she'd still kept the token of his appreciation, something meant to provide peace and rest. Littlesplash's tail twitched, considering now he probably didn't believe quite as strongly that such things could bring about much sought after contentment, purely by being present. But maybe there was something to the sentiment of it all. The medicine cat was grateful either way to hear it had meant enough to her all these moons to keep nearby. He was a fully named medicine cat now, and yet, Poppyshine's efforts meant just as much as they had in kithood.

"I could use something like that now." Littlesplash admitted, his voice a touch somber. Between the battle, his healing puncture wounds, and the nightmares of Sunfire's eyes burning into him, the medicine cat's sleep had been more restless than ever. Even Cindersky's words echoing in his mind hadn't been enough to soothe him. But there was something else there, something he felt needed to be shared with Poppyshine now, "Starclan spoke to me at the medicine cat meeting. They gave me a warning but... I don't know what it means."

"Beware the wings of fallen birds, for they are born of tainted feathers." Littlesplash recited the ominous words with a slight shrug. The vision and words had echoed in his head, swirling around as if at one moment they would finally have meaning. This was the patched tabby's first warning from Starclan since becoming a medicine cat. Never before had he received any guidance from a mentor on how to pick apart the message or its meaning. Ultimately, the tom was lost in what sharing this with Poppyshine would do besides letting another cat hear the direction from their ancestors. How was he supposed to be a bridge to the stars if he couldn't understand their cryptid ways. Humming softly, an idea came to the tom, "We should avoid catching any birds, even if its rare. And chase away any herons or geese. Just in case. Then our clan will be safe from any possible harm."

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He watched the deputy's expression change and shifted uncomfortably. It was one thing to hold the knowledge of impending doom himself, mind wrought with the worry of possibilities unknown; it was another to share that burden with another. Littlesplash hadn't entertained this aspect of the position when accepting. Outside of the ceremonies where he had shared tongues with Starclan, their presence was often far away and mysterious. While the guidance was appreciated, he felt too inexperienced to make sense of the things in which the ancestors wished to share. A knot formed in his throat at the idea.

Poppyshine's voice caused his glossed over eyes to snap back into focus. Perchstar. Right. His ears fell back slightly feeling a pang of internal disappointment, both with himself, and at the thought of having to share something like this with their leader who was already so overwhelmed by recent events. After a brief moment, he confessed, "I meant to tell you both but I've been so busy and my mind has been... other places. I'm sorry. I should have told Perchstar sooner."