Simple Talks [Closed]

Hunting remained hard during Leafbare. ShadowClan was doing fairly well compared to other Clans, such as ThunderClan. Blazeflight had just come in from a hunting patrol, having successfully caught a sparrow and a fairly big mouse, though it was scrawny. She laid down both of them, looking to see who was in camp and who was out in the territory. Her eyes fell onto the elder's den, and she suddenly had an idea. She knew that Thrushstripe was hardly ever visited, most likely only when the apprentices went to go pick the fleas out of his fur. She was sure that he got extremely lonely at times, and she knew that a good amount of the apprentices were mouthy and lazy, so that couldn't be much fun. She picked up the mouse again, heading towards the elder's den to see Thrushstripe. She entered the den, her amber gaze landing right onto the venerable tom. "Hey, Thrushstripe. I was just wondering if maybe, you'd like to share a mouse with me?" Usually, around this time, cats were finishing up their meals and sharing tongues, but she'd stayed out hunting a little longer to catch the sparrow, so she was late. 

ooc: creds to Badge for the title <333

The sound of pawsteps entering his den wasn't unusual, but at this time of night, he couldn't say that they were expected. All of the apprentices had come and gone by this point, so it couldn't have been them. As the old tom lifted his head up and stretched out his terribly aching joints, he was surprised by the sight of Blazeflight standing in the entrance, offering to share a mouse with him. Despite how long he had occupied the elder's den now, Thrushstripe still couldn't get over the idea of others bringing food to him. "Is... something the matter?" He asked her, knowing that she didn't visit very often. Maybe she needed to speak with him on something important. Without putting much thought into it, the elder reached over and took a small bite out of the mouse. "I'd normally get freshkill... myself, but these old bones won't let... me like they used to. It must be something about this den," he grumbled, his tired eyes falling onto the warrior.

The warrior grinned when Thrushstripe bit off a piece of the mouse, glad that he'd accepted her offer. "Nothing's wrong, just figured you could use a little company." She sat down in front of the elder, pushing the prey closer to him, not really having much of an appetite. Whatever the tom left when he was done could be eaten. "Oh please, Thrushstripe. You don't look a night over 50 moons." Her amber gaze wandered around the den, and it made sense to her that he would get lonely. No one to talk to, nothing to do, all night. She curled her tail around her paws, her thick ginger fur bristling slightly at the thought. Things were hard enough without Waspstep around, so she felt a little bit sorry for Thrushstripe. Nevertheless, a smile remained on her face and her posture remained polite.

Nearly every muscle in his body seemed to groan in its own way as Blazeflight made her small joke about Thrushstripe not being a night over 50 moons. It nearly felt like it was out of pure spite and to continuously remind the old tom that he's not nearly as young as he used to be, especially now that he didn't have much of anything to occupy his time. "You're too... kind, Blazeflight," he said, although he couldn't hide the small amount of amusement in his voice for long. "I know I'm old. I'm sure... at this point, I've outlived every cat in the forest and my bones... know it." He continued taking small bites out of the mouse until about half of it was left. Even though he wanted to finish it since it was a gift, his stomach simply wouldn't let him.

"All the moons also make you the wisest cat in the forest. That gives me another reason to want to talk to you. Of course, that isn't the only reason I came to talk... She felt awkward saying that, she didn't want Thrushstripe thinking she just came in to ask him something, because she didn't. She'd come out of a genuine want to talk to the tom, but the way she had formed the words made it seem like she'd only come for advice. They did to her, at least. She knew she was probably overthinking it, but her mind couldn't help but do it. She looked down at her paws, thinking about what she'd said. 'Hopefully he won't think of it that way.'

There it was. He knew there had to be a reason she was here. The old tom had lost his close family seasons ago, so he had no one that was truly close to him, in which case, no one ever really just came around to talk. However, instead of being annoyed by it, a small chuckle escaped him. "I appreciate you trying, but I'd rather you... Just get on with what you have to... say," he mewed, readjusting himself so that he was sprawled across the soft moss, making himself comfortable for whatever Blazeflight had in store for him.

'Foxdung!' "Sorry..." She didn't dwell on it for too long; it'd only make her feel worse. Instead, she moved onto what she wanted to ask him. Her gaze lifted from her paws and she cleared her throat."Since Waspstep passed, things have definitely gotten... Harder. And then my kit, Specklef- I mean! Um..." 'StarClan! I'm such of mousebrain! She grimaced right after she said it- how could she be so stupid! Now herself and Specklefang could get in trouble. She looked nervously from place to around the den, hoping that just maybe he hadn't heard, but she knew there were slim chances.

The elder's relaxed stature suddenly tensed and his eyes narrowed at the warrior telling on herself. His tail began to twitch anxiously. "I don't recall... you having any kits..." he responded. "Who is this... Specklef-?"

"I... I didn't have any kits." She responded slowly. Now she had to explain herself, but she didn't know how. No words came to her mind. Surely she wouldn't get in trouble for something like this? No, she would. Might as well get it over with. "It's Specklefang. Specklefang is from ThunderClan. When Waspstep and myself were on a patrol one night, we found her wandering around next to the Thunderpath. She was just a kit, Thrushstripe. We couldn't let her get hit by a monster, or otherwise. She looked big as an apprentice does, so there was no telling if another patrol passing by would attack her or not." Her eyes fell to her paws, and she took a deep breath. "Waspstep and I continued to meet her at the Thunderpath during her apprenticeship. It was just after she became a warrior that Waspstep passed. She was so upset about it. Even after Waspstep was gone, I still saw her. After a while, I guess she just... saw me as a motherly figure for her. And after all this time, I still treat her as if she were my own." A small sigh escaped from her, as she was thinking about how Waspstep's passing had impacted both of their lives similarly. Not even Thrushstripe could stop her from seeing Specklefang, it'd been too long and she'd grown attached to her like a mother would a kit.