Check Mate [Closed]

Honeytongue sat curled in the corner of the camp, ears slicked back as she watched her Clanmates go about their lives. For the entirely of Asylum's reign, she had remained quiet, compliance. She was never a fighting - no, she was a shoulder to lean on. An ear for others to speak to when they felt uncertain. A mother, for all of RiverClan. She had done her best, offering comfort to her Clanmates in the wake of... This but she wasn't blind. Tensions were rising, something was getting ready to break and she wasn't sure if she could stop it. She didn't know what would cause the final crack - if it would be from Asylum or her own Clan...But she knew she had to be ready.

But still, she knew the heaviness of everything wasn't on her shoulders. She spared a glance toward the warrior's den, taking in a deep breath as she pushed herself to her paws. She...She couldn't imagine what it was like for Ivystar. Honeytongue had felt comfortable in a supporting role - it always felt natural to her but it wasn't a luxury that Ivystar could have. No...Things were getting harder for Ivystar as fur was rising - but that was why she was here. "Ivystar?" she pushed herself into the den, certain that she had last seen the leader slip in for perhaps a moment of peace. "Love? Do you have a moment to talk?" she asked, her voice light - ready to step away if Ivystar wasn't in the mood. She wasn't going to push for a conversation with her mate, but she knew it was her duty to check in on her.

She'd grown thin and almost frail over the past few moons. It wasn't as if the prey was scarce resources had been spread thin, no- Asylum saw to that. But the will to care for herself had greatly been diminished, and her self-preservation skills had practically disappeared within a matter of moons. She had become much more focused on getting her Clan out of their current situation, but it seemed that in every direction she turned, a boulder blocked her way. No matter what she did, there never seemed to be any answers, anywhere for her to turn. StarClan had gone silent, but what was new there, after all? It wasn't as if they were any great help through the trials and tribulations RiverClan had faced before. Fighting was quite painfully obviously not an option, and neither was running.

Simply put, they were stuck between a rock and... Well, Asylum.

Honeytongue's sweet voice elicited a small response from her, a glance over her shoulder and a flicker of an ear. Her whiskers twitched in response, and her paws began to knead restlessly. "It seems now that I've got all the time in the world." She mewed softly, gentle wisps of thin clouds escaping her maw as she spoke. "Yes, I do." She added, turning to face her mate.

It almost hurt to see how thin Ivystar had become - knowing how poorly her leader, her mate, was treating herself. Her shoulders slumped as Ivystar turned to look at her, even as she agreed to speak. "...You need to take better care of yourself," Honeytongue breathed as she pushed herself forward, tucking herself in at Ivystar's side as she rubbed her head beneath Ivystar's chin. "I-I know things have been hard but...You are still our leader. You need to be an example. You can't..." she drifted off, curling her tail around Ivystar's. "...You can't give up hope. This is...None of us expected this but it...It hurts to see you like this. Talk to me, please. I want...I want to help you. Help RiverClan."

Ivystar's expression softened slightly as her mate slumped, and she moved back a bit to make room for her in their nest. "I'm trying my best, but the Clan comes first. You know that," She sighed, leaning into her mate's embrace. Her ears flattened slightly in embarrassment as her mate spoke on, talking about being an example and leading. "There's no hope to hold onto. I don't expect Asylum to just leave one day, it's not as if they'll wake up one day and think, 'Ah, perhaps this was a bad idea.' As much as I wish they would..." Shaking her head, she laid down, leaning on Honeytongue as she continued. "How am I supposed to have hope when they've taken everything from us? We have no freedom. No autonomy. They don't care about us at all, despite their constant rambling about being one big family. I can't lead now, they've taken that privilege away from me." The she-cat's emerald eyes gazed into Honeytongue's, and she knew that it was a tough situation. "There are no answers here. For the first time, I don't know what to do."

Honeytongue frowned as Ivystar claimed that she was doing her best to take care of herself - the she-cat wasn't sure if she could believe that with the poor state the leader was in. Then, she was going on about how there was no hope... Honeytongue stared at her paws for a few heartbeats before she raised to evenly meet Ivystar's gaze. There was a long silence as Ivystar finished, before Honeytongue raised a paw and gently whacked her mate on the head. "Stop it," she hissed softly, tail gently lashing as she raised her chin at Ivystar. "Don't think I don't see what you are doing. You are wallowing in despair - I know the sight well, I...I did it a lot after Mudfrost and Torrentstar..." she drifted off for a second, before she shook her head. "If you give up hope Ivystar, we've already lost. If the Clan comes first, then find strength to hold onto the hope anyways - you are our leader. The moment your - our - warriors see you like this, they are going to give up and then Asylum will have won in whatever...Goal they hope for. You have never been the she-cat to lay down and die, don't start now when we need you the most, my dear," she added softly as she leaned forward to nuzzle her mate. "We need to have hope, or how will whoever manages to free us know that we still desire our freedom? I know how hard it can be to hold onto the glimmer in the face of defeat but I've worked hard to drag himself from those undercurrents. We are still together, our Clan is still thriving. Be our symbol of hope, Ivystar, even if that is all you can do. But you aren't alone - I'll be at your side to lift you up whenever you have doubts. We will survive this. RiverClan will survvie this."

Ivystar gazed into Honeytongue's gentle green eyes for a few moments, before she attempted to duck from her blow, instead just softening it slightly. Her ears pinned back to her skull for a moment but before she could question what that was about, Honeytongue spoke up again. "I- I haven't given up, I just... I'm lost." She mewed, ears drooping slightly. She continued to listen to Honeytongue, gaze drifting from her eyes back down to her own paws. She was failing as a leader. Now she had become a shell of who she used to be, the strong beam of light that the Clan could always rely on. Now, whenever they turned to her, they'd see nothing but a husk of the she-cat that used to be there. And it was her own fault.

"You're right, Honeytongue..." She sighed, leaning into her embrace. "I'm sorry," The silver tabby mewed, letting her emerald eyes slip shut for just a moment. "I just feel so hopeless. And it seems no matter where I turn, I only disappoint others. I'm trying, I just... I didn't know where to start. I still don't. I don't even feel like myself anymore." She mewed, resting her head on her mate.