Blind scales [For Bluesong]

Duskfall sat in the clearing in his usual spot underneath a thick bush that gave him shelter from the worst of the elements. While he usually enjoyed the heat or the cold, today he was feeling more lethargic and wanted to instead just lie down comfortably as he ate his magpie. He'd been on a dawn patrol, his personal favourite time to patrol the borders, but the side effect was that he was feeling a bit tired.

Picking at the feathers, he ate the magpie in peace. He was naturally open to company, but had no intention of deliberately seeking any.

Bluepaw dropped two squirrels on the prey pile then looked over and saw Duskfall. Maybe she should avoid him... he probably wasn't too happy with her.

His fur prickled as he sensed some cat was looking over at it. It was Bluepaw, Goldenflame's apprentice. It always amazed him how small apprentices actually were when he looked over at them properly, something that was easy to forget when you lumped them all together as just young than him. Which these days was most of the clan, the only cats older than him were Spottedstar, Nightfire, Hollyberry and naturally the elders. It seemed only like yesterday that he was the youngest, a young warrior desperate to prove himself. But those were thoughts for another time.

"Nice catch, Bluepaw. Looks like you have the makings of a fine hunter."

OOC: I'm deliberately saying this since Specklefur called her a bad hunter, maybe she can bring this up with him now

Bluepaw looked up at Duskfall and let out a snort of anger.
"At least I am not with Specklefur," she growled. She groomed her fur to keep it from bristling up.

"How is elder duties working out for you?" Duskfall asked wryly, waiting for her reply as he dug into the magpie. He tore off a leg and wing though, nudging it over to the apprentice. "Come over her, sit, eat. Seems like you have something to say."

Bluepaw spat a bit.
"I hate it. Specklefur keeps pointing out everything I do wrong! Then she always complains that I am there!" Bluepaw let out a quiet cry of despair. She grabbed a sparrow and settled down beside Duskfall.

"Seems like the learning respect for your elders part isn't working out too well." The deputy commented between bites of his magpie, occasionally pausing to pluck out a stray feather. One or two weren't that bad for eating but a whole mouth was really too much. If only StarClan could give them featherless birds. Now that would make his life much easier. "Specklefur has always been like that, even when I was an apprentice. But she is an elder, we must respect her for she has done much for our clan. Of course if she goes too far, I can have a word with her for you. But I'm afraid being prickly just how she is. Like trees don't move and RiverClan are fishfaces."

Bluepaw rolled her eyes.
"Well I personally don't think she deserves my respect," Bluepaw mumbled after taking a bite of her bird.
"She got mad because I brought in a scrawny squirrel... after I brought in a bunch of plump prey that morning!"

"Ah, a scrawny squirrel. The most gravest of crimes. Perhaps she was concerned about the future and took it out on you. It's hard you know to be an elder. She cannot provide or protect the clan anymore and relies on us. Last Leafbare, we lost many to the cold and the gnawing hunger." Towards the end, his voice grew a little rougher while he thought of all who'd died in the winter, losing it's more playful touch. His sister, Coalfur, died fighting a RiverClan warrior over a sparrow. Another died hunting prey in Snake Rocks. Warriors and apprentices needed to go to the extremes to feed the clan in Leafbare. But it was unfair to expect little Bluepaw to understand something like this, he supposed. "I know it's hard to understand her. Oh StarClan, I have trouble myself. But try remember that she is your clanmate. She wishes the best for our clan, not the worst. So my little hint, just ignore what she says and try your best. It's all we can ask of any cat."

Bluepaw shook her head sadly.
"I don't know," she sighed. She took a bite of her bird somberly.
"It's just..." She sighed. She didn't know what to say. Speckled it had done a lot of Thunderclan... but she never thought that she could be so authoritive over the apprentices.

"Its just?" Duskfall pried, remaining patient with the apprentice.

"It's just she acts so authoritive over us... Like she's leader... that's what got us fighting," Bluepaw mewed in response, her voice quavering slightly.

"She is an elder. I'm not asking for you to obey her without question. When she growls at you about something, just nod at her like you agree and understand." He said, placing a paw gently on the she-cat's shoulder in a reassuring manner. He understood how it felt to be young, to feel like everyone seemed to boss you about without giving you any wiggle room. But it was all apart of being an apprentice and learning. "Not all wars can be won by fighting. Sometimes a surrender is just as noble as a victory."

Bluepaw looked at the deputy and nodded. She had to admit he was right.
"I guess that's true..." Bluepaw mewed finally after a long silence.