dreams are the flowers [c]

It seemed as though the last couple moons were bent on being unpredictable to Skyclan's detriment. Wolfblossom found herself near the edge of camp, a rare moment where there was little for the deputy to do. The day's patrols were assigned and sent out, and now that she'd returned from her own unsuccessful hunting patrol she was tired. The fresh-kill pile would not fill itself, but hours spent in the forest resulted in hardly anything. No birds sang in the trees above. Watching her clanmates slowly grow thinner was frustrating, and knowing that she couldn't run herself ragged to fix the problem was just as frustrating. Skyclan was large and needed food, and there would only be more to worry about as the season wore on.

"Thymepaw," Wolfblossom greeted the apprentice warmly on her approach, "How are you? Training going well?" For all her internal thoughts, she was grateful for the presence of another. She'd been too wrapped up in her own thoughts lately, it would be good to speak with a clanmate, especially one of the apprentices that she hadn't had much interaction with.

Wolfblossom blinked at the offered flower crown and Thymepaw's words. "It's beautiful, Thymepaw." The deputy mewed, sincere. Asters and sunflowers, bright and cheery, a reminder that not all was doom and gloom. The gesture brought a soft smile to the deputy's face. The apprentice's words were appreciated too. Sometimes it felt like she wasn't doing enough for the clan in times like these. "Thank you." She added, "I know these are trying times, for all of us."

The reminder of the fox attack was a painful thing, knowing what the aftermath had resulted in. The clan was recovering well, mostly, though Foxtrot had spent some time in the medicine den too. She hadn't spoken to Dawnfeather's kit in some time, but had kept watch from a distance. Thymepaw seemed happy with her training despite the delays. "That's good to hear, and I'm glad that he's recovered, too." Wolfblossom nodded. She would've been happier if the fox attack had never occurred in the first place to cause such nasty injury, but they couldn't change the past.

Thymepaw proved to be more insightful than many might have been, seeing beyond the rush of being deputy to the other side of that leaf. Again, Wolfblossom nodded, "Leading the clan is a lot of responsibility, and it can be difficult." Wolfblossom had no problem in being honest and admitting it.

"Wisdom is something more cats could benefit from." She agreed, "That includes us, of course." The deputy hoped that her sister's faith in her, and her clanmates like Thymepaw, would not be misplaced. Some days it felt like it was, when she looked around and saw her clan's empty bellies. Her gaze flicked from Thymepaw to the pretty flower crown again, and after a moment she asked, with curiosity glimmering in her gaze, "...How'd you make it?"

Thymepaw explained, and Wolfblossom thought she might try it out for herself at some point. It didn't sound like it would be too difficult to accomplish, though the cold that was killing off the plants would make finding materials difficult. The deputy nodded, "Difficult now, yes. Newleaf or greenleaf, though..." She murmured thoughtfully.

Thymepaw wasn't the only one to think of Birdstar, and that brought Wolfblossom a tinge of sadness. A smile formed at Thymepaw's words, however. She was a cat who just wanted to see her clanmates happier, it seemed, a kind soul. "I don't think she'd be offended, she could use something to cheer her up." Between the foxes and Bloodstrike, and Trufflesnap's horrific betrayal, and Plumleaf succumbing to illness, Wolfblossom was far from the only cat in the family absorbed in their own thoughts. "I... think there's only so much I can do, given everything that's happened recently. It's... hard. She knows there are cats who care, but most of our clanmates won't approach her like you did me." Birdstar was their leader first to many of them, and without the more sociable energy that often led Wolfblossom to seeking out her clanmates for more than just patrols. "If you'd like help with making one for her..." She began to offer, though perhaps it would be better for Thymepaw to go without. Wolfblossom was not a cat built for the finesse needed to make such delicate, happy looking crowns. Still, the idea itself was an appealing one.

Thymepaw enthusiastically accepted her offer of help, bringing a warm smile to Wolfblossom's face. The apprentice was quick to suggest an idea of where to start, and the deputy nodded. "Courage... I think we all could use some of that." She murmured, "It sounds like a good place to start, to me." She added. "I don't know much about flowers, honestly, just what Plumleaf taught me about a few herbs." The mention of the late medicine cat brought a faint pang of grief, but Wolfblossom continued. "What do you think of something brighter... I don't know, honeysuckle or forget-me-nots?" Those at least, she'd never seen in the medicine den, so they might be a safe bet. They were pretty too... If they could be found so late.

"They do smell nice." Wolfblossom agreed. Thymepaw seemed to like the idea too, which was a good sign. She seemed like she had a good eye for what flowers might tie together nicely, and though it wasn't exactly a traditional way of cheering others up, Wolfblossom found herself enjoying it.

A crown for Smokepetal as well? The medicine cat was definitely deserving of one, and was an easy cat to get along with. Her former apprentice had never been a fighter, Wolfblossom thought she would be happy for the thought put into these. "I think Smokepetal would love that." She mewed, "Honestly, she doesn't get enough thanks for what she does for the clan. The path of a warrior wasn't for her, but she's settled well into the role of medicine cat."