kindling [c]

Once, there was a spark in Firefly's eyes so hot that it could have set the forest aflame should she had chosen to do so. But it seemed - as of late - the flames had been extinguished, leaving only enough of a smoldering heat to keep her alive. A daughter gained and lost in so little time, and a sister so plagued with demons she had no idea of, that RiverClan had looked more inviting than the one her own family was in. Both she neglected severely, thinking things would be just fine if she left them as they were.

Now she stood just out of the reach of the sunlight that streamed through the canopies, front paws tip-tapping as she anxiously thought about what she could talk about with Acornstem. Sure, they were compatible in battles. But she had been with Murkyripple, too. Look where that went. She sincerely wanted to secure this friendship with ThunderClans deputy, but how? She had asked the squirrel-like deputy to meet her for a patrol, but that was as far as she gotten with that thought.

It had been quite the surprise for Firefly to request to go out with a patrol and while the deputy had refrained from joining any in the time since Cedarstalk's death...There had been something in the earnest request - the look in Firefly's eyes - that had made her accept despite her efforts to keep her duties contained within the camp. Was Firefly seeking another spar and if so, why not say it outright? No, something else was happening and there was flutters in her chest about what it could be.

As she approached the warrior, she couldn't help but have her tail raise in joy at the sight of her. The grief she had over Cedarstalk's death always seemed to ebb away in the presence of Firefly - it was easier to focus on how happy the red-ish brown she-cat made her. And of course, Firefly knew the pain as she had lost her daughter first out of the two. Maybe it was about that...? She titled her head, trying to keep the doubt and worry from crossing onto her face as she purred in greeting to Firefly. "Alright, I am ready!" she meowed, having done her best to make sure everything would be secure in the camp in her absence while she stepped out for a bit for this one-on-one time.

A light smile crossed her maw as Acornstem came into view, her big fluffy tail standing tall the moment their eyes met. Which caused an... Odd feeling to swell in Firefly's belly and make her throat feel tight -  something that never happened to her before. For now, she would shake it off as being nervous on having a social interaction that wasn't a spar. Her request to meet with the small ThunderClan deputy had been brisk, with no explanation other than for it to be a patrol; though Firefly had no set destination in mind when she had asked. Firefly been surprised that Acornstem had even agreed. She only recently experienced her own loss - Cedarstalk - not even a pawful of moons after Firefly had lost Peonylight.

She understood all too well that one could easily get lost in misery if they stayed in their own company. Shrewpaw - Firefly's first ever apprentice - had followed close behind after the death of Cedarstalk, sorrow gripping her heart so tight that her little body couldn't hold on anymore. Together, maybe they could keep each others paws on the ground. "I'm sorry for calling you out like this. I just thought... We could talk for a bit. Just the two of us. Anything you want, I don't mind!" The russet warrior awkwardly cleared her throat, unable to get to the point right away. How Curlyfluff did this so easily was beyond her.

Taking the initiative and picking a completely random direction, a rusty tail tapped the smaller she-cat to ask her to follow.

Acornstem's ears perked in surprise as Firefly admitted that she just wanted to talk. Oh, uh, that was far from what she had been expecting. Well, she had thought that maybe they would talk a little but most of their converstaions were small talk on patrol or the aftermath of spars - to just... She felt her cheek warm as she smiled, straightening up. "Yes, talking sounds wonderful!" she chirped, perhaps a tad too quickly as Firefly motioned for her to follow and the two set off.

However, her own sense of awkwardness fluttered in as any ideas of what to talk about was... Her ears flickered down, expression darkening a little. She liked to think of Firefly as a friend but it was starting to dawn on her that she didn't... She didn't know her all that well - they had bonded over sparring and that was it. That...That couldn't be a true basis for a friendship, could it?

"Anything, huh?" she murmured, before her expression brightened - skipping forward to pad at Firefly's side as she smiled up at the she-cat. "Well, to be honest - I think I want to get to know you better, Firefly," she admitted with a sheepish smile, gaze flickering down at her paws. "I've always thought of us as friends but our relationship is just base on our spars - which is wonderful! ...But I want to get to know you."

Friends. That was such a relief to hear the deputy say. It was good to know she wasn't completely bothering the poor she-cat. This was good!

A hum rumbled in Firefly's russet chest as she searched herself for an answer. Get to know her? Did she... Even have anything interesting to say about herself? "I like sparring. And battles." Mouse-brain! Everyone knows that! Try something else! Her cheeks felt hot as she went through her daily routine. "I-I also like to go on patrols - usually alone - and just listen to the forest. I've wandered many heartbeats around ThunderClan territory just watching the seasons change. The buds and blossoms turn to green leaves, and then watch those leaves turn red and gold and return to the earth. I've watched the snow fall and then melt again, and the cycle will repeat. I... Enjoy the sounds the forest has to offer. I enjoy watching bird watching, as well." A genuine and peaceful smile sprouted on the warriors face. Her bad attitude as a younger cat that earned her unwanted solitude had brought her at least one or two good things.

She cleared her throat, catching herself. "Don't tell Mottlestar about the solo patrol thing... It just works out that way. Given how I was." Her pace slowed to allow the shorter brown she-cat to keep up. "What about you?"

Acornstem couldn't help but let out a giggle at Firefly's first respond - stating the obvious but it was part of what made her so endearing to the deputy. But as Firefly quickly went on, going on about her love of patrols - of just...Enjoying the forest for what it was, the deputy's smile grew even brighter. It hadn't been something she had expected, such a soft answer to the question. "Aw, I knew you weren't just a tough she-cat," she teased, raising a paw to prod Firefly with a playful snicker. "No, you are just a sweetheart beneath it all! But don't worry, I can keep a secret."

But as the question turned onto her, her trot slowed down a bit as she tried to think of her own answers. Her ears slicked back, a sheepish expression crossing her face. "Me...? I mean, I think its obvious - I am kinda an open field. Most of my time is spent focused on the Clan but...I-I'm trying to do better to make time for me. I...I really like helping cats, that much is given and, uh..." She drifted off, having really not been expecting her own question to be thrown right back at her.

"I...Like rocks?" she admitted, giving a tiny shrug of her shoulders. "I mean, it wasn't my interest to start but how Echosong and I befriended each other as kits - he collected rocks and showed me to them and I realized...How pretty they could be. So many cats just wouldn't think twice about them but they could be so special - their patterns, their shape. They... A treasure that only some cats could see the worth it, but treasure all the same," she sighed wistfully. There was a pause however as she glanced around, taking in the nature around them.

"...I can see why you like your solo patrols thought - there is something calming about just...Walking." There was a brief moment of hesitation, tail swishing as she looked down at her paws. "And I mean, if you do end up wanting company for your patrols...I would feel a lot safer knowing I was there to watch your back. W-We wouldn't have to talk if you still wanted peace and quiet - I think being in your company would be wonderful enough," she added, feeling her cheeks warm again.