space invaders [c]

As much as she tried to stay out of the rain, Heatherberry was always being pulled somewhere for something the second she settled down. A kit in distress, an elder with the sniffles, a warrior or two needing to get patched up after some inevitable scuffle. It seemed to never end, just like this infuriatingly long journey. With a huff, she leaned back her half-drenched body against the log she had run to for cover.

Only to be met with the softest embrace of fur she had ever felt. Scrambling to her paws, she was quick to rush out apologies. "I'm so sorry! Everything has been hectic, but that doesnt excuse me from invading your space like that--" She turned to look at the cat she had unintentionally broke boundaries with in the eye, only to be met with someone she had only ever seen at gatherings: Wolfblossom. Heatherberry was a big girl, but the SkyClan deputy still stood a few ears above her. She knew nothing about the deputies temper, which only made the anxiety flare. She felt she might faint.

It was another cold, dreary day. Even her thick fur didn't manage to block out the chill, and Wolfblossom found herself sheltering beside a large log, blue eyes watching her clanmates and the cats of the other clans who had been forced into such close proximity. Every one of them were thin, gaunt, exhausted. They had struck out into unfamiliar territory in search of survival, but Wolfblossom was beginning to fear that this trek would only lead to their end instead.

Lost in her thoughts, she did not notice the other cat until she leaned fully into her, and bright blue eyes turned toward her expecting to see one of her own clanmates. Who she found instead was a shorter (well, relatively) and dark-furred she-cat, the sharp tang of herbs breaking through the stagnant air. She recognized her from gatherings. Shadowclan.

The medicine cat - who else would smell of herbs even amid the gloom? - was quick to offer apologies, and the deputy shook her head. In a way, it was a relief for this to only be a genuine mistake and not some more news of misfortune or tempers flaring. "It's alright." The deputy mewed gently, "Hectic feels like an understatement, and I think everyone is sick of this rain and chill."

"You're Shadowclan's newer medicine cat, right? I'm sorry if I never caught your name." Shadowclan made her wary, in truth, between Nightstar and Burdockroot's intrusions on nights of peace and hunting patrols, but Wolfblossom had been glad to see Leopardstar take up the clan's leadership. She did not know this medicine cat, but it seemed as though Shadowclan was a bit less chaotic with the newest of the leaders at their head. Something that might be workable into a more friendly relationship. And traveling together now, there was truly no need to be hostile about such a minor thing. "I'm Wolfblossom... Though I guess you probably recognized me. I'm not a tyrant like my clanmates would have you believe, I swear."

The breath she held felt tight in her chest as watched the deputy tense. Had she just caused unnecessary drama for ShadowClan...? Relief washed over her as she watched Wolfblossom's body language relax just as quickly, the words that followed the shift being gentle and understanding. "Yes, it's a shame that we left the hardships of the forest only to endure even harsher ones away from it..." An ear flicked as she sat down, making sure to still remain under the cover of the pine that towered over the fallen log beside both she-cat's. She wasn't really mad at those who made the suggestion to leave, but she couldn't help feeling irritated about it. Was StarClan truly leading them in the right direction, or had they misinterpreted it entirely? It was hard to be sure until it was too late, unfortunately.

Glancing up, Heatherberry gave a warm smile. "Perceptive of you!" She joked, doing her best to make sure the deputy understood that it wasn't some sarcastic jab; ShadowClan was failing in the social and political categories, she would not let it get worse because of her. "I'm Heatherberry, Leopardstar's eldest. And I do know you, deputy of SkyClan. Pleasure to finally speak with you!" While Heatherberry rarely conversed with anyone at gatherings, she still made sure to pay attention to those who frequented the Great Rock. She knew them all, though she hoped the other leaders and deputies would not come to know her. Not because she hated anyone, but because crossing borders as a medicine cat meant StarClan had asked something of you (in the many riddles they like to give). Stars know that most leaders and deputies knew Burdockroot. Tyrant? Ha! The medicine cat had been in the unfortunate presence of a tyrant; Wolfblossom did not give her that vibe... Though she had been wrong before.

Her head turned to look out at the growing puddles, brow creasing slightly. Nightstalker was no longer a fond memory. "Now why would they say that about you, Wolfblossom?"

Wolfblossom nodded, "It feels like we've only added to our problems out here." Leaving the territory they knew, so barren of prey, was supposed to be a chance at survival. Instead the clans still starved, and the volatile weather plaguing their journey only made things feel worse. "Not to say I'm faithless about the clans' chances, we faced risks no matter the choice. We'll find a way forward, somehow."

"Heatherberry, that's a pretty name." The deputy smiled at Heatherberry's attempt at humor, something more genuine when she mentioned being Leopardstar's daughter. "Ah, Leopardstar. I hope she's faring well with... all of this. She's a good cat. Shadowclan seems like it's in capable paws." Nightstar had been a loose canon, and while he dealt with his warriors' transgressions swiftly and ruthlessly, the chaos he and Shrikestar brought with them to gatherings had not been missed by the Skyclan deputy. "She must be proud of you. The position of medicine cat isn't an easy one, and I think a lot of cats underestimate that... I come from a family of them." Wolfblossom added. Two siblings and both parents had been medicine cats. "Smokepetal was my apprentice, before she found her calling as one."

The questioning of Wolfblossom referring to herself as a tyrant made the deputy laugh, a smile flickering across her expression. "Ah, so the grumbling hasn't reached your ears then. Good. Maybe I'll let them rest as a show of goodwill for that." Stormwatcher came to mind. The tom had been lazy and unmotivated in the past, but somewhere along the way he'd grown into a hardworking warrior. And somehow Wolfblossom had come to look at the tom as a younger brother. "Most of my clanmates do as I ask... Probably because they know I'll annoy them and guilt them into such otherwise." Birdstar was the one her clanmates seemed to fear a bit more, an imposing figure compared to Wolfblossom's cheer and good nature. Neither of them were tyrants of course, not compared to some leadership the forest had seen.

Wolfblossom was right that they had faced challenges like this before and survived. Surely they would do so again, whether StarClan would be there to help them or not. She huddled into herself as the wind pierced already slightly soaked fur, reaching her skin and sending a chill up her spine.

Her gaze warmed at the deputy's smile, thinking to herself that Wolfblossom suited her: large, yet seemingly gentle as a blossom. "She's doing her best, which is all anyone can do given the circumstance." And with the responsibilities that had suddenly been thrust upon her in Nightstalker's wake, but she wouldn't say that bit out loud. Was Leopardstar proud of her? Unfortunately, she couldn't really confirm that these days; not after their family got torn apart. "Even with my full name, I'm still learning new things everyday and improving; something I'm sure your lineage of medicine cats could relate to! It's a rough time these days. Heatherberry nodded at the mention of Smokepetal. She had rarely spoken to her, something the ShadowClan molly hoped to change very soon. It would be a waste to not take advantage the opportunity of something more than knowing a name during meetings required of them. "You must be proud to have your apprentice carry that line, then."

Heatherberry laughed at the response Wolfblossom gave, imagining that SkyClan must have held a strong familiar bond with one another. The deputy seemed to be a sort of elder sisterly figure, or perhaps an aunt to her clanmates. Whether that was true or not, Heatherberry wanted to believe it to be. Either way, she felt relief wash over her that Wolfblossom wasn't a true tyrant. "They seem to love you, or perhaps respect you in some way then, at least. Take solace in that. It's a relief to hear their version of a tyrant is different from mine; You're rather pleasant to talk to. Then again, I've yet to do anything to warrant a demonstration of your intimidation tactics, have I?" She gave a smile, truly hoping that would never come to be.

Wolfblossom nodded, "It's a different task than being deputy, but I think we're always learning something new." Whether she wanted to or not, really. "And learning new things should be part of it, how else are we to grow?"

"She's thrived in the role, I think. Even with how busy things can be." One day, she hoped, her medicine cat would get a much-needed break from the craziness. With luck they all would, but this journey towards the unknown certainly wasn't it.

"They do, that's true. If they didn't, I would not be deputy. Simple as that." That was something that Wolfblossom hoped, anyways. Skyclan's warriors were a close-knit bunch, and had ousted troublesome leadership in the past. Not that Wolfblossom thought she would ever reach that point, but it was also comforting to have faith that her clanmates would put the clan first, too. She would not be deputy without Birdstar's trust, and neither of them would be leading Skyclan if the clan did not back them. "We watched Windclan and Shadowclan from the sidelines. Standing up to a leader takes courage, let alone two of them and in such a public fashion as both your clans did. A leader's word might be law according to the code, but that doesn't necessarily make the law right." She had no personal quarrel with Nightstar at least, though his and Shrikestar's actions had been disgraceful at best. But the tension that had simmered at gatherings for moons was unwelcome and not good for the forest, much less the two central clans involved.

"How else are we supposed to grow?" Somehow, that thought had never crossed her mind until now. Every big and little failure she had ever gone through had, in fact, made her grow in ways she had never even thought of. An example of the present growth would be mingiling with others she had never thought to mingle with, whether by accident or by choice. So far, bumping into Wolfblossom was proving to be an excellent learning opportunity, which also meant growth in some small way.

Her smile dropped at the mention of the shattered WindClan and ShadowClan allience. It was still bitter on the tongue, no matter how much time passed or how much the two flower covered graves back home settled back into the earth as though they had never been. Even outside of Heatherberry and her now broken family, ShadowClan still suffered the effects of Nightstalker's actions. Leopardstar still found making an alliance a touchy subject, and there was no doubt that the other clans would scoff at the idea of ever trying with ShadowClan so soon. The only positives was that Wolfblossom seemed to hold Leopardstar in much higher regards. It did take courage to stand against a leader making a foolish decision, and Heatherberry was that coward who stood silent the very night the plan for war had been made. "Trust me when I say that ShadowClan has learned a valuable lesson since then. We will not make that same mistake again - or at least I won't stand beside them should it happen again. That war took two cats precious to me. I guess the growth that came from it was to know when to put duty aside for what is morally correct. To not stand by and watch it happen without saying something, even if it were to fall on deaf ears."

She noticed her body had tensed up, her ears flattened against her head, jaw clenched in irritation on remembering such horrible events. She cleared her throat. "Perhaps alliances should only come in times of need, not peace."

"You recognize it now. That's a hard thing to do when in the middle of the chaos. You've sworn not to let it happen again, Leopardstar stood up for that change too. I think Shadowclan is doing the best it can by trying to move forward." Much like Skyclan had been trying to do, between Briarstar and Birdstar's leaderships. They had been successful, though Wolfblossom wasn't foolish enough to think it had any hope of lasting. Not with who they sheltered, not with the actions of youthful, brash idiots.

"You have my condolences for your losses." She added, inclining her head. That hardly meant much, coming from a stranger, but loss was something Wolfblossom understood. Something most cats did, though it tended to divide just as often or perhaps more than it united them.

"Any alliance can crumble with a misplaced paw, I think, even the ones forged from necessity." The deputy sighed, keeping her gaze forward, though her thoughts turned sour toward Riverclan and Thunderclan. "We will never be able to fully control the actions of others, no matter how hard we might wish to sometimes." Or old grudges, she was almost afraid to say. "I will call it a benefit still, even if it's a temporary one. To end in bloodshed and lives lost is a tragedy nobody should have to face."

To have the... Moon rising on a new night for ShadowClan be acknowledged be another clans leadership gave great relief to Heatherberry. She tried her best to be a kind face to whoever she met, even when she didn't want to be. She was unhappy every single waking moment of her life, but smiling through it all was a necessity in the position she was in. To repair lost relationships, or even to put up the facade that they could ever be repaired. But at the condolences for the loss she still carried, the false sparkle in her eyes faded out, replaced with an emptiness she hadn't shared with anyone. But only briefly. This was not the place to let down her guard, even if she found Wolfblossom to be good company. "Thank you." The false life returned to her gaze, letting the SkyClan deputy give her own response to the question of working alliances as she collected herself. Had her own pelt always felt this heavy...?

"Perhaps one day I'll see light through your eyes in regards to alliance. The inability to know how others think or predict their actions is what makes it so dangerous. I guess giving the benefit of the doubt to others is risky to begin with." Heatherberry did have a kind heart, truly loving with every fiber of her being. Maybe that's why she held such bitterness on certain subjects.

Wolfblossom caught the shift in the medicine cat's expression at her condolences. She understood the look in her eye far too well. "I know grief never leaves you... But it will become... manageable in time. But you carry them in your heart still." The price of having cats they cared so deeply for. There was some small comfort, however morbid, that she would eventually reunite with her loved ones some day. A day far into the future, when Skyclan did not depend on her, at least that was what Wolfblossom hoped for.

The deputy nodded at her words, "It's all risky. Always will be." She murmured thoughtfully, "Sometimes the risk is worth it. Sometimes... Well, you only know if you try. But never a gamble to take lightly."

She agreed with both sentiments, nodding her head ever so slightly. Part of being alive was to accept risks in the world around you, especially in the position the both of them were in. To love another was risk everything. And Heatherberry couldn't see herself never loving anyone with all her heart. "This has been a very eye-opening chat, Wolfblossom. One I didn't think I'd ever get into with you, but I'm glad we did." Her eyes scanned over her clan who had taken cover from the rain not too far away. The anger was still in her. It always would be when she thought of how unfair things could get... But that was also the risk of love, she supposed.

Suddenly, her name was called from across the clearing. A sigh escaped her. Back to work. "I hope we get a chance to talk like this again. It was... Nice to share the same feelings as someone else without burdening my own clanmates. Next time I hope we can have a bit more fun, though!" Bowing her head politely, she bounded off into the rain once more. Her job was never done.