For Your Well-being [Closed for Mosspelt]

"Mom? Are you busy? I need to talk to you about something but I can come back if ya are..." trailed off the tall apprentice as he stood in front of Dewlight, paws shuffling as he awaited the molly's response. It was currently another chilly afternoon but Blackpaw wasn't going to spend it like he normally would. No. There was an important matter he needed to address. As soon as he'd spotted his mother -after he'd sped through his daily tasks of course- he'd made a beeline straight to her without allowing himself to become distracted. He had already put this needed conversation off for a while and it was about time he tried to bring Dew's waning health to attention. She was the best mother ever and he wasn't going to let this slip by. If he turned a blind eye to whatever was plaguing her, that'd officially make him the worst son in...well...in all of forever! That wasn't happening on his watch! He wanted to strive to be a great son and nothing less! He needed to be there for her like she was there for them.

Dewlight had been staring blankly at nothing as she sat on the edge of camp. The wounds on her face had finally started to heal, scabbing over in horrid streaks across it. She hadn't been as stressed recently, but without the constant pressure of responsibilities, she found herself feeling... Empty, as if she were simply floating around without direction like a cloud. The familiar sound of her kit's voice brought her back to reality, and she turned her blank gaze to Blackpaw before they focused in on his face after a heartbeat, and she smiled slightly. "Hi, Blackpaw. Of course, I'll always make time for you. What's troubling you? Is your training going okay?" She asked, worried that perhaps something was wrong.

Blackpaw tried to offer her a smile but it fell short, to his dismay. Up close, Dewlight didn't seem like herself at all but he could tell she was trying. 'She's trying for you.' his mind supplied. A lump formed in his throat but he quickly swallowed it down. He had to try and trudge lightly. He didn't want to upset her. He may not succeed with that but he'll still try.

"Thank you, mom." he said softly, tone as sincere and gentle as he could make it. "O-Oh! My training's going well. I've been practicing my hunting lately so I can help the clan more." But that's not why I'm here. The apprentice chewed the inside of his cheek, a nervous habit of his. "But mom, I do have something that's troubling me..." It's you. "During my apprentice ceremony, I noticed that-" How could he phrase it? He didn't want to upset her if he could. "I noticed that you hadn't seemed like yourself. You looked more tired and...overwhelmed, I guess. You didn't seem like you and I became worried. I had wanted to talk to you about this sooner but things came up. I didn't forget though. I didn't let myself forget. You're important to me. You and dad and my siblings are all very important to me. I love you all and when I see that one of you guys looks unwell, I tend to worry a lot." The dark-furred tom breathed in deeply to keep his emotions in check. "I just want to know what's wrong. How can I help you mom? You've done so much for the clan and for us. It's our turn to give back." His eyes searched hers. He was serious about this. He needed to know if there was something he could do for her.

Dewlight nodded, smiling as he talked about hunting training. "That's good, with leaf-bare hunting will be especially hard, but you'll gain a lot of skills that you'll carry with you for the rest of your life." She mewed in the brief silence before Blackpaw continued. She tilted her head slightly, concern filling her face as he said that something was bothering him. Was his mentor not involved enough? Was he having issues with battle training? Had he gotten injured, or was he not getting along with the other apprentices? As he continued though, her face fell, and she frowned slightly. She knew that the wall she had carefully erected after Ivystar's disappearance had cracked and was falling, but she had still been trying to hide as much as she could. Blackpaw had clearly noticed though, how many others had too? If more had, then why was it Blackpaw who was the first to reach out?.... She didn't want to think too hard about the answer to that question, and she sighed as he asked what he could do to help, giving him a small tired smile. "At that point, Blackpaw, I was very tired and overwhelmed. I was pregnant with you and your siblings when Ivystar named me deputy, something that I hadn't wanted. Then, shortly after that, she disappeared, and suddenly I was a new queen with a large litter of kits to care for on top of trying to take care of an entire clan. It was... A lot, for any cat to try to take on. Then there were the battles at the Gorge and then Sunningrocks...." She trailed off briefly, shaking her head slightly. "It was just a lot, and still trying to care for everything while healing was difficult, and made my wounds heal slower. I'm feeling better, now, with Jaystar receiving his name and lives and naming a new deputy, but it's just taking some time for me to feel like I can relax and return to normal duties again, instead of running as fast as I can for as long as I can every single day. Just you coming to talk is a huge help, and keeps my mind off of things, so thank you, Blackpaw." She mewed, offering another small smile. Things were still hard, and would be for a while, but this was a start... Hopefully of something good.

The young tom's shoulders sagged and his eyes gained a softness even more pronounced. Dewlight being overwhelmed seemed like an understatement. Having responsibilities thrown on top of other responsibilities would any cat weary and just plain tired. Despite this, his mother had stayed up on her paws and trudged on. In his eyes, this made her even more honorable and great. "Mom..." he whispered as he took a hesitant step forward. She put her clan above her own health and she never gave in even when things got rough. 'Just like any amazing warrior would do...'

In an instant, the apprentice shuffled the rest of the way to her side and he pressed himself against her. He nuzzled her cheek with his head. "Thank you for being the best mom ever." he purred, sincerity dripping from his words. He stepped back a bit and looked her straight in the eyes. "I'm glad I'm helping you just by talking. You've done so much for the clan a-and you deserve some rest....I hope to be like you one day..." He offered the she-cat a toothy grin. He knew that she wasn't going to be better all of a sudden. Things like this takes time but he was willing to offer his time to make it happen.

Dewlight's eyes widened as Blackpaw suddenly moved closer, pressing his head to her cheek with a purr. Tears sprang into her eyes at his words, choking her as he moved away and continued to speak. Gratitude and love washed over her expression, and she moved close to pull him in, resting her chin on his head. "Thank you, Blackpaw. I really appreciate it, more than you could ever know. I know that you will be even greater than I ever was, Blackpaw, you'll be one of the greatest warriors RiverClan has ever known." She purred roughly before licking the top of his head and letting him go to move away again. She didn't want to suffocate him, just wanted to let him know just how much she appreciated him and his words.