catching up [c]

Emberheart was, as per usual, outside of the elder's den. Today the spot she'd chosen to occupy wasn't particularly close to any of the other dens, either - just a decent spot to get what little of the sun's rays still filtered through the trees as the end of greenleaf swiftly approached. It was peaceful, quiet and calm and all the things she'd expected to loathe. But she didn't, outside of the occasional lack of company and overwhelming feeling of being left alone with her thoughts.

Before she could get sucked into those thoughts, though, she spotted someone familiar. Her former apprentice and ThunderClan's current youngest medicine cat, Mossbloom. It was with just a hint of guilt Emberheart realized she hadn't spoken to her in a while, and thought to fix that immediately. "Mossbloom," she greeted pleasantly. "How are you doing today?"

...Had the passage of time dulled her conversational skills, as well as her senses? Oh, well.

The sound of her name turned her head towards the elder's den, and she smiled as she saw Emberheart sitting peacefully outside of it. Turning in a wide circle to pass the fresh-kill pile, she selected a squirrel and a vole from it before making her way towards her old mentor. Placing the two in front of her, she motioned for the elder to take her pick. While she waited, her memories flashed to when Emberheart first took her to see ThunderClan territory so many moons ago. She was just barely not a kit then, timid and nervous and desperate for love. One of those things still hadn't changed, but she was better about not letting it get in her way.

That was before the flood, before Flintfang's betrayal, and Dewpaw's. Before she became a medicine cat, her paws called by StarClan to herbs and healing. Before he died. A flash of ginger and white pelt brought her to the present, and shook her free of the memories that had claimed her momentarily. "Hi, Emberheart! I'm doing well, working on stocking up while Pricklebush is in RiverClan again - the last thing I want is for him to return to half empty stores. How are you? Are you feeling well still? I heard that RiverClan has had some brushes with whitecough and greencough, so if you start feeling a tickle in your throat please let me know."

"I'll keep that in mind," Emberheart assured her, accepting the squirrel gratefully. "Ah, squirrels... My favorite. My only true regret is that I can't get up in the trees to chase them down anymore," she admitted with a sigh. "Them and the birds. But there comes a point where you have to accept that you can't do the things you used to. I only hope that once you reach it, it bothers you less than it does me."

"Thank you." Mossbloom purred, nudging the squirrel closer as Emberheart accepted it. Settling down at her side with the vole, she rubbed her head against the she-cat's shoulder gently. "I'll find you a squirrel that doesn't know how to climb and you can catch it, how does that sound? Or I'll catch you a squirrel or bird every day, you were the one to train me how after all." She purred, taking a small bite of the vole thoughtfully. "I guess it will depend, the only thing I won't be able to collect well is honey if I can't climb anymore, but even then I don't think it would be so bad. There are times I miss going out into the forest to hunt though.... It was always my favorite thing to do. Now I hunt herbs instead of prey!" She took another small bite and looked to Emberheart. "Is there anything I can do to help you feel a bit better? Less bothered maybe? A walk, perhaps?"