A Talk Over an Evening Meal [C]

thrushnose

Thrushnose was busy grooming himself as the sun began to dip, his tongue taking extra care of any knots left tangled in his rich coat of fur he'd worked hard to maintain. He had gone out hunting earlier to gather some last prey for the clan, and while he had been able to bring quite the amount back—he was still left mildly disappointed by a missed catch of a thrush. Ironically enough, he'd gathered a feather or two left laying by his paws, unsure what to do with them except to serve as decoration for the dens.

It wasn't until Amberpaw approached him that the tom lifted his head, ears perking in attention. "Ah, not at all. Go ahead." He shook his head, gesturing toward the empty spot beside him with a warm smile. He took notice of the squirrel between the apprentice's paws and tilted his head. "You're eating a bit late. Seems like you've gathered quite a bountiful hunt though, hm?"

thrushnose

"That's good to hear. Our clan needs many talented hunters to improve growth—as much as possible without wasting forest prey, of course." Thrushnose nodded in approval, allowing a soft purr to escape his lips as he finished speaking. The joy of hunting also came to him early in his apprenticeship, and he was glad to have found a cat that related the same, even if it might've been for different reasons.

His gaze fell to the thrush feathers beneath his paws, lifting them to allow Amberpaw a better look at their reflective shine under the evening light. He was not an avid birdwatcher or anything of the sort, though he did enjoy them as an occasional meal and species on their own. "Hm. I suppose you could say so. Birds are quite interesting creatures themselves." He smiled, gently nudging the feathers over to the apprentice's side, remaining careful enough so that he wouldn't have accidentally dusted them over with dirt. "A failed hunt, unfortunately. I only managed to strike at the bird's feathers. You can keep them if you want, however. I'd be more than willing to give it to you as a gift of some sort."

thrushnose

"Thank you. It's only a conclusion, myself, though I'm glad you've found some enjoyment in it." Thrushnose nodded at Amberpaw's words, letting out a soft purr of his own. It was simple, truly, what he had said—but if the apprentice found approval in it, he would be more than glad to offer more.

He found himself interested in the words Amberpaw have spoken. Perhaps a bit too poetic, for some, though the warriors' curiosity had been piqued. They would certainly stir some thoughts, that was for sure. Not to mention how true they applied in the current conflicts of Thunderclan; cats were amiss of their usual, coordinating spirits and determination to bring the clan back together as one. He couldn't blame them, knowing the betrayal and doubt they must've felt. From Mottlestar's bewildering secrets exposed by a clan not their own to Starlingflare's murder at the paws of their ex-deputy, things were on the brink of breakdown. It was a wonder how everyone kept up on their own, even him. Perhaps it was Thrushnose's mentality that made him slightly more stable than most.

As if seeing through the younger tom's thoughts, he chuckled, "Don't doubt yourself, Amberpaw. You certainly speak wise words, yourself." Thrushnose offered him a warm smile, feeling strangely reminiscing as he thought back to the conversation he had with Nightdancer. It went somewhat similar to this one. No wonder why this feeling is so familiar.

"You speak very poetically, but true. I can trust you understand how everyone's feeling at the current moment. Apart as individuals, we are lost; confused by our own paths on where to head. Though, like you've said— '...like a bird needs its feathers, Thunderclan needs its clan members. Alone, we fall to the ground. Together, we aid in the most harmonious existence - we take this clan off the ground, we fly high above the clouds.' —we rise together as a clan. That is what Thunderclan honors, do we not? Strength, loyalty, faith, and love; it is what binds us together."

He'd gone on a bit of a rant of his own, though he was mostly just repeating Amberpaw's words, and interpreting them through his own. Stretching, he rose to his paws with a faint hum, "I enjoyed our conversation. You're free to approach me anytime if you need company, or advice, Amberpaw. In case your mentor had not already given you some." He laughed heartily, patting Amberpaw's back with a gentle brush of his tail. "You should finish the squirrel and get some rest soon. Apprentices need a lot of rest for their training."

thrushnose

"You speak too kindly of me, thank you. I'm just being earnest." Thrushnose allowed a burst of warm laughter to escape from his maw, nodding slowly to the compliment he received after their conversation. In no way did he mean to come off as prideful, in the accidental instance to some cats; though he did have a tendency to be modest when receiving compliments. Maybe he just took after Mottlestar. In his eyes, she was still an incredibly noble warrior—because after all, if left behind all the drama caused by misunderstanding, he doubted most cats would still be able to remain so truthful and kind even after such immense, regularly cycled stress. "In any case, I think you'd grow to become a great warrior on your own." He remarked truthfully.

Before he could've turned away, Amberpaw called for him again, and his ears perked in attention. Though it occurred as a bit of a surprise to him at first why the young tom has decided to invite him in, if such a thing was so special to the apprentices, he found no reason as to why not make more acquaintances and have fun during so. After all, he was not unfamiliar with the name 'Birdclan', though the one he was currently in was a bit different than the one made up by the fellow Shrewpaw, Cedarpaw, Copperlark, and Amberpaw. "Believe it or not, I'm in another Birdclan of my own. Though, it's the one Falconmoon, Kestrelchirp, and I started off when we met as apprentices in the Gathering." He chuckled, deciding to leave out their clans for the sake of non-provocation, in case the apprentice thought badly of those in Windclan.

"Hmm... So, in a sense, each of us all is our own leader, despite being in this same 'Birdclan'?" He raised a brow, his curiosity piqued by Amberpaw's explanation. The thought, admittedly, was a bit childish, though positively endearing. They even have their own virtues. If it pushed their spirits to become a leader such as Mottlestar, he had no reason to deny the offer. All the better if he could lead them through their personal experiences growing up, anyway. "I don't see why not." Thrushnose smiled, nodding. "Sure. I'll join Birdclan."