Helping Out [Closed for Frost]

Swiftheart sat in the camp clearing looking around. She saw Frostgaze a little ways away and happily bounded over to him her energy and enthusasim as high as usual. "Heya Frosty!" she purred happily in frinedly greeting. She had given that nickname to him ever since the day he had saved her from the foxes. She assumed he would not mind and if he told her not to use that she would of course stop. She had alot of respect for the deputy and he had always looked out for her when she was an apprentice. In fact, he had taken her to the moonstone as well when she was ready for the meeting with star clan... the reminder and memory of that made the missing of star clan sting a bit. These dark forest cats were not welcome in her mind. She got along with almost everyone she had ever met but the dark forest cats were pure evil... they had killed Loudnose her brother and Ratrunner her crush in one night both right in front of her. She despised these monsters that defied the natural order of things.

Pushing these thoughts aside she focused on the positive and pawed at Frostgaze playfully. "Do you need any help on tasks?" She asked wanting to try and make his work load as easy as possible after such a rough moon and past season of harshness.

The pair were a bit opposites in some ways, Frostgaze was cool calm collected and when he made decsions it was based on facts and information and data. Swiftheart was energetic, and ran off emotions. Her decision making was more off her gut and heart rather than the perhaps most logical. "we could do whatever you need to get done" she offered. She silently hoped they could do anything at all just to get ehr mind off the dark forest freaks that refused to leave camp and were always just kinda .... lurking about.

Frostgaze, as he often was, had been lost in thought. Though it hadn't been because he was pondering useless knowledge, no he had been unable to do that in a long while. He was instead wondering when Webshadow would be back in working condition. He loved his mate, and he worried most nights about his wellbeing. Suddenly, he was snapped from these thoughts as a warrior bounded up to him. It nearly scared him out of his fur, causing him to jump up in surprise. His fur began to flatten as he realized it was Swiftheart, true to her name. "Swiftheart, greetings." He meowed with a slight nod. He watched through pale eyes as she pawed playfully, clearly excited to help him with something.

"I suppose I could use the assistance patrolling the border. With... with some warriors out of commission, filling border patrols has been more difficult. Not to mention that they seem more redundant now, as the Dark Forest has deigned to watch us all like hawks. Despite that, I refuse to leave our borders unchecked, and unmarked. Someone has to look for predators, rogues, and the like. If you would like to assist, you may come with me." With a quiet sweep of his tail, he turned toward the camp's entrance, beginning to pad out. Swiftheart would, at the very least, make his job faster than it would've been without her. Besides, if she had this much energy, getting her out of camp might be a blessing to some.

Swiftheart listened quietly as the deputy spoke. She nodded in understanding, he talked about warriors being out of commission and she knew that he was probably worried and thinking of his mate Webshadow. The two of them made a great couple in her mind and she was so happy she had "poked" Webshadow into pursuing the relationship. She was so sorry that he was so hurt from the March gathering.

(OOC: What happened to him? I thought I read somewhere he got a scar on his eye that is healing?? but my memory on it is fuzzy at best. Or is he just recovering in general not a specific thing?)

She gave Frostgaze a sympathetic look. She thought primarily on emotions and she walked up to him and gave him a hug. This was usual for her to do and she was kinda considered to be most likely to do that of anyone in the clan. "i'm sorry frostgaze... I'm sure he will get better soon" she said reassuringly trying to let him know she was there for him and that things would work out okay.

Letting him go she nodded and followed him further out of camp and into the forest. She walked along with him with pep in her stride and filled the walk with some general conversation, the usual extravert that she was loved to talk about anything and this day was no exception.

"I took Leopardpaw out the other day to go hunting" she informed him

"She did VERY well! She caught a frog and a roddent... and was really close to catching a rabbit too, but just tripped at the last second." she added on praising the apprentice

"You really have taught her well" she meowed with a quiet friendly purr.

(OOC: if you are curious about more of that mentioned topic you can check it out here :)
https://warriorclancats.forumotion.com/t47248-above-and-beyond )

"I told her I would let you know and she got very excited about that.... you always have a great way with apprentices" she praised him. She thought back to when he had taken such good care of her as an apprentice and how he was always there for her in general as well. He was like the apprentice's father resource and she loved him for doing that.

"Leopardpaw really does look up to you alot... its good to see she is doing so well on her training." She paused for a bit and tilted her head looking at him.

"hmm have you thought of a warrior name for her?" she said with a grin and wink

"Don't worry I wont tell" she giggled putting her tail over he lips in a quiet symbol of secrecy. She nudged his shoulder gently and playfully.

She allowed a little bit of silence as they walked towards the border that they were going to check on before continuing. It was nice out, finally the harsh season was at an end and for now the prey seemed to be running much better in general.

Continuing on in her news dump to him she purred ... Snowfoot also really looks up to you... you know" she said in a bit different more serious tone... She was going somewhere with this and wanted to preface it with acknowledging what Frost had done for Snowfoot. The young warrior had lost her mother at a very young age and was still dealing with a bit of things. Frostgaze had really taken her in when he found her and ever since then had acted as her adopted father in general.

"A little while ago... while she was still an apprentice she was crying at her mothers grave" Swiftheart said in a low somber serious whisper, sorrow filling her eyes as the mood of the topic shifted so much. "I did my best to comfort her... but... maybe you should talk to her about it?" she asked looking at him unsure of how he would react to this. She cared alot about her clanmates and figured that Frostgaze might be able to cheer Snow up.

(OOC: here is the topic for all that. Warning its very sad :( ...
https://warriorclancats.forumotion.com/t46574-anger-open )

She walked along with him quietly after that for much longer not wanting to make light of that but also at the same time she did not want to end on such a sad note.

Perking up she thought of a more positive topic that was more in tune to her usual happy mood. "There seems to be lots of new kits about" she purred glad to have them around. "Shadowclan is doing well" with the new addition of Dimkit, Lichenkit and snakekit they were indeed growing.

She continued following behind him as he led them towards their destination.
"So... What about you? How is life as deputy treating you?" she asked him. As much as she was known to talk, she did like to hear how others were doing in the clan and didnt want him not to be able to get any words in. She could never imagine being deputy and did not envy that position one bit! She did not enjoy taking lead on things and never really had. As much as the other kits all enjoyed playing make belive that they were leader in the nursery she had actually always been content on letting her littermates be the leader and she had been happy being a warrior back then... She had not changed in that regard and was happy to be a warrior now. She would not enjoy the position of deputy one bit, it was simply not for her. She was glad he was deptuty, he served her mother Murkystar and shadowclan as a whole very well with his work and she wanted to know if he was doing alright in general as well of anything else on his mind. No matter what she wanted to support him best she could.

Frostgaze silently padded alongside Swiftheart, listening to the waves of words as they traveled. He had deigned not to answer her... though not out of spite. No, the deputy was thinking, as he so often did. He didn't think the young warrior would mind, she enjoyed talking. Maybe enjoyed talking a little too much. As they approached the border, he did speak though, finally having done enough thinking.

"Thank you for telling me these things. My duties as deputy have caused me to be... distant, as of late. Unfortunately, I have a penchant for staying in my own head, not looking outward enough. News of happenings in the clan is always good to know... and I must speak to Snowfoot about her mother. I am not the most empathetic cat, but perhaps I can assist her with her grief." Quickly, he began marking the border, not wanting to waste time when there was work to be done.

"As for Leopardpaw's warrior name, I am not quite sure. She is dedicated, perhaps to a fault. Not a bad thing, just something to caution against, I know too well what can come of that." Burningwing came to mind, his dedication to the code, to Starclan. It was fanatical... but he had still been his friend, in the beginning. What had come of him was truly awful.

A question was posed to him, and Frostgaze turned his head to look at Swiftheart inquisitively. "...How am I doing?" He certainly wasn't asked that very often. Once his shock wore off, he spoke once more. "I am doing as well as I can I suppose, given the circumstances. Webshadow continues to heal, Leopardpaw continues to grow as an apprentice. The clan is doing well enough under our undead rulers for now. Though enough about me, how are you doing Swiftheart?" The deputy did not want to bring up Ratrunner's death, he knew how fond she was of him, though he was unsure if she had truly spoken of it. He didn't expect much out of this conversation, but Frostgaze did hope that Swiftheart would find her way through her grief, if she hadn't already.

Swiftheart listened very attentivly as her deputy spoke. She did not inturupt at all as he spoke. She loved to talk it was true but she never wanted to talk over someone else.

She nodded with a smile hearing he was doing well as was possible right now. She was very happy that Webshadow was healing. She had visited him earlier and he did seem better.

Then he asked about her and she glanced around for a bit not answering immediatle which was a bit odd for her...

"well I uhh..." she slowly started off glancing at her paws.

"some days are better than others" she said quietly. "Ratrunner's death was really hard on me... Loudnose's too... losing my crush and brother in one night was..." her voice trailed off and she gave him a sad pleading painful look.

She had gotten a bit better from the initial pain that she had but it still was not easy.

Sighing she walked along with him as they marked the border.

"... Frostgaze??" she added on.

"I uhh ... I am having Ratrunner's kits... they are about a moon and a half away" she said in almost a whisper...

It was such a bittersweet to her. She always wanted a family with Ratrunner but now he was gone forever... she hadnt thought it would happen like this. Still... having them was still so special, in that some aspect of Ratrunner would still be with her.

The emotional molly couldn't help but have a couple tears run down her face. She didn't even understand what emotion she felt right now but it was a strange mix of loss, sadness but also hope and joy for what lay ahead.

She quickly straightened up wiping it aside and tried to refocus best she could they had a job to do.

Walking with him a while in silence she grinned and gave him a little playful nudge. "I visited Webshadow earlier in the med den... I think he figured it out without me telling him... he has a sense for detail" she purred with a happy grin. "You two are really good together" she complimented walking along side her deputy.