be still for awhile (c)

Time passed as quickly as the river flowed, and it soon became apparent to Perchstar that greenleaf was only a moon or two away from ending. The season had been almost entirely prosperous for RiverClan: two full litters of kits, an abundance of prey, and no difficulty with other Clans. After the fiasco with SkyClan had been solved, all other interactions with Clans had been positive or nonexistent. It was as if RiverClan existed in a bubble. A well-fed, sun-kissed bubble. However, all things had to end eventually. The easy times would end soon enough. However, she was confident that their Clan had been strengthened enough these past moons that they could get through anything together.

This leaf-bare would be far easier than the last. For one thing, the Dark Forest was safely locked away. For another, their Clan had refilled its ranks from the many dead and missing warriors caused by newleaf's many disasters. And of course... there was Poppyshine. A Clan being led by a functional pairing of leader and deputy would fare far better than one led by a loose cannon leader and overworked, antisocial deputy. The Perchfall of half a year ago was as good as dead. Now, a cooler, more confident Perchstar stood in her place, assisted by the best deputy a cat could ask for: Poppyshine. The calico was a blessing from the stars. Her good-naturedness and warmth made every cat love her, and made even the difficult duties required in Clan life far easier to bear. They complemented each other like the day and the night, locked together in a cycle that made their individual weaknesses pale compared to their combined strengths. And that wasn't even mentioning the personal friendship that Perchstar shared with the deputy. It seemed like a lifetime ago that she had taken the tiny, enthusiastic Poppypaw to be her apprentice, and guided her through thick and thin, through river disasters and border crises and what had seemed to be the literal apocalypse. Perchstar rarely made friends. However, her bond with Poppyshine had been forged in fire, and couldn't be undone by even the busiest of schedules.

Or so she hoped.

With the amount of time that Poppyshine had to split between her family and her duties, Perchstar became increasingly worried that she might be overworking the she-cat. Most queens got to have relaxed duties for a few moons, and their mate would help share in the job of raising kits. Poppyshine, as a deputy whose mate had long since vanished just like his mother Darkglow, had no such privileges. Perchstar had done her best to do what she could while the queen was pregnant. However, once Poppyshine's kits were apprenticed, she had needed to take on as many duties as she could again. Of course, her friend weathered it all with a smile. But what if she was using that smile to hide her feelings? What if she was feeling worn out and worked down to the bone, like Perchfall had so many moons ago? Though Perchstar tried to reason herself out of the nagging fear, it wouldn't stop popping up in her thoughts and dreams at night. And so it was that early one morning, when Poppyshine would be out organizing the day's patrols, the leader of RiverClan went looking for her. When she found the deputy, Perchstar's light blue eyes locked on, their normal neutral expression not betraying the worry that was making her heart pound. "How are you feeling, Poppyshine?"

Poppyshine seemed as bright and beautiful as always; energy positively radiated from her. Motherhood hadn't slowed her down one bit, it seemed. Perchstar's neutral face relaxed into a kinder resting expression-- as it often did when in the presence of the deputy. But her worries were still not quite put to rest. What if Poppyshine really was tired, and just didn't want to say so? She could have gotten better at hiding her feelings. Maybe she was exhausted, and just hadn't realized it yet. There was no way she could still have so much strength and energy after all she did, deputy duties and hunting and patrolling alongside the work of motherhood. Looking closer, the calico seemed a little bit shaken. Perchstar bit her lip as she considered recent events. Poppyshine and Mapleleaf had been quite close... and of course, there was the recent passing of Rainpaw. Mapleleaf and Owlshriek's son. The news had struck all of them into a subdued sort of quietness for the past few days. Poppyshine had as good as adopted the WindClan queen's kits after she left for the stars. Wouldn't that be dragging on the she-cat? When Poppyshine loved, she loved with everything. It had to be detrimental to her wellbeing... And with that, Perchstar's decision was made.

"Poppyshine, I think you should rest today," Perchstar said without warning. Her voice was serious, but there was a slight concern to the way her neutral features softened. "You do a lot of work, and I appreciate it-- but as you are always telling me, it's important to take a break. Don't worry about hunting, okay? I can take your place on the patrol, if you'd like." Her torn ear flicked to one side as she looked at her friend. "Take a day to relax. Go to Sunningrocks and relax, or just rest here in camp. I could go catch you a fish if you want; I'm sure one of your kits would be more than willing to help out as well."

Perchstar let out an inaudible sigh of relief when Poppyshine acquiesced. She had been worried that her friend would protest, as she herself so often did, at being told to rest. Not all cats are like me, though. In fact, most aren't. They enjoy resting and relaxation with loved ones. She was the odd one out who had difficulty taking time off. Thankfully, Poppyshine was not like her. She tilted her head at the deputy's question. Laying on Sunningrocks?... Well, she couldn't say it was something that she did often. Her preferred method of relaxation was usually just taking a walk. But since the last time they did that, a fox attacked... She repressed a shudder at the memory. "Spending time with you is always enjoyable," Perchstar said, her tone noticeably more relaxed now that Poppyshine had agreed. "I rarely sun myself... but if you wish to do so, I will accompany you. To be honest, relaxation does not come naturally to me. If it will help you relax, though, I am sure I could learn how." She flicked her tail thoughtfully; she'd noticed her friend's reaction to the idea of taking a kit out to fish. "I will take your place on the patrol with Sprucepaw today, then we can spend as much time together as you like. I promise no harm will come to him, if I can help it. You know that if it was necessary... I would give all nine lives for you and your family, Poppy." Of course, she could hope it would not be necessary. But hopefully that might ease the deputy's mind.