stepping stones [c]

Leopardsun had always avoided the medicine den. It wasn't that she didn't respect medicine cats-- far from it-- but she preferred to let everyone else be seen first, and only allowed herself to seek medical attention if it was entirely unavoidable. Even as deputy and now as leader, it wasn't often that she had cause to seek them out for counsel; their advice was valued, yes, but medicine cats primarily spoke with the stars and interpreted their signs. Neither of those was something she put much thought into.

"Burdockroot?" she called, hoping that it was the elder medicine cat she'd found and not her daughter. She still hadn't spoken to Harriertalon, wasn't sure how or even if she should approach her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you."

I'm sorry.

The words were always on the tip of her tongue, a preface to almost everything she'd said for some time now.

She was getting rather tired of them.

Still, for some time now she'd meant to make a more concentrated effort to be on good terms with ShadowClan's resident healers; something Nightstalker had failed at time and again.

Burdockroot paused and turned, facing the leader of this, well, mostly disorganized clan. On one paw, Burdockroot understood it. She was like Nightstalker when she was younger. Brash. Angry. About to claw at any second. She had gotten into a fight in ThunderClan that one time. Another with Sablestrike. But she had worked hard to even that temperament. Feeling nothing was better than feeling anger. Luckily, Harriertalon came along. But the current situation was making it difficult. Difficult in so many ways. Nightstalker had been her idol her whole life, only for him to fall at a rapid pace. Not unlike the tree that killed him once. Leopardsun and her hadn't had the smoothest run either, but things seemed to be shifting.

"Leopardsun. Come in." Harriertalon was taking a break from the madness of a den so she swooshed her tail to show the empty nests. "Is this injury mental or physical?"

"I mean no disrespect, Burdockroot-- you're incredibly capable-- but I think my problems are beyond any medicine cat," Leopardsun admitted, because it wasn't injury of any kind that had brought her to the medicine den. Truthfully, she thought her problems might be entirely beyond fixing; and it certainly said something about her that the feelings of devastated desperation had given way to resignation. "No, I brought you a lizard. I wasn't sure what you'd prefer, so I just guessed. I'd-- like to know."

She took a few steps into the medicine den, leaving the lizard she'd brought. "I was waiting for a moment of peace, but ShadowClan is always in chaos. And that's one of the reasons why I think it's important that we're able to work together. So, I'd like to get to know you better."

"ShadowClan is a disaster right now due to Nightstar. You know I have to be honest - I believe you are handling it the best any cat could." Her next thought trailed off as she looked at the lizard at her feet. The molly did prefer rats, but the sheer fact that Leopardsun made an attempt was enough for her to now favorite lizards. "Lizards are my favorite." She said, forcing tone and inflection in her voice to show Leopardsun that she too was trying. Crouching down carefully on her paws, Burdockroot took a bite and swiftly finished the small snack before standing up, wiping her maw with her paw.

"Delicious. My den is always open to you. You are the leader now, and Harriertalon's mother after all. Well, it always was. I just may not have been the most inviting force." Tilting her head, she studied the cat in front of her.