To Guard the Star [C]

It had taken Acornstar longer than she would have liked to admit to realize that she had been being watched for the last...Moon. Mostly by a cat as large as Quailprowler. She had slowly been realizing that the she-cat tended to watch her intently when the leader was doing tasks around the camp, and she was certain if Quailprowler wasn't technically camp-bound by her quickly growing kits, she would have followed the leader into the territory itself.  She...Hadn't put much thought into it, but slowly she was starting to recall how much Mottlestar had relied on Quailprowler and curiosity and a bit of guilt tugged at her. She had never quite figured out what the relationship between the two was - what Mottlestar actually expected of the large warrior and the new leader had failed to check-in.

...No longer - no, she would be better then that. She had been doing her rounds, checking the camp's walls for any weakness before she turned to locate Quailprowler, padding over with a deep breath. "Quailprowler, a word?" she called out, before she let out a soft sigh and tried to give the warrior a gentle smile. "I've..." She drifted off quickly, tilting her head as she reconsidered something until she spoke again, switching to the language that Vinecrawler had taught her those moons ago."I feel I should apologize. I did not see how you were holding up after Mottlestar's... You two were close - always on her tail. Is there any way I can be of use to you? Is there anything you need?"

The kits had come so soon after Mottlestar's death and had kept her busy enough she had put what she thought of her duties aside. But as the kits grew older, they needed her less and she gave them some independence to start being the intelligent leaders they were meant to be. Still, she didn't want to leave camp so her old habits hit hard -trying to discreetly follow Acornstar around to be safe. If she was any other cat, embarrassment would have burned her pelt when the leader finally caught her. Quailprowler never felt shame. Her head dipped out of respect then tilted her head as she first spoke in the common tongue and then the feral tongue.

Quailprowler was a little taken aback. How did she feel? Slowly, Quailpwler untangled the mess she shoved down to care for her family. Mottlestar was like her mother, a mentor, and allowed her to be an important part of her, guarding her. The loss she felt, thinking she would just go and be a normal warrior was... a lot. The hole where Mottlestar was, was a lot.

"When Mottlestar was leader," she started carefully in feral. "I was her guard. I went everywhere with her to make sure she is safe. I don't know how else to be. If I can still be that." Her gaze stared down to Acornstar from their height difference.

Acornstar waited patiently for Quailprowler to find her words, letting the she-cat sort out her feelings before her words started to tumble out. A guard, hm? ...She considered what she knew of how Mottlestar had lost her most recent lives and she felt her heart sink, wondering if Quailprowler blamed herself. It was bad luck that it felt like every time Mottlestar had lost a life leading up to... The warrior hadn't been there. She hadn't been on the patrol that had ran afoul with SkyClan. She hadn't been part of the big war because of her pregnancy. She hadn't been there and...

"Ah," she finally said, her voice soft as she considered things. She hadn't realized that was the job that Quailprowler had performed for Mottlestar, such things had never been mentioned to her but it clearly meant everything to her. A guard... Yes, she would certainly feel safer with a cat like Quailprowler looking over her. She nodded her head, a soft hum of agreement escaping her. "If you wish to still be that, then you may," she meowed, swishing her tail. "While the thought had not occurred to me, I do not object and would feel safer for it. Once your kits are apprentices, you may be my guard so I may better protect my Clan in return."

Quailprowler had tried desperately to push the little wiggle of shame that she felt when Mottlestar had died numerous times when she was a queen, preparing for kits. Mottlestar's death- she had pushed that so far away and tunneled into her new family that the... unfamiliar twinge of pain didn't resurface until this conversation. A quick shadow crossed Quailprowler's usual intense gaze as those emotions surfaced in her. Never before in her life did she ever doubt herself, yet here she was, doing just that as she took in Acornstar's words. The new leader was just as small as Mottlestar, just as warm and friendly. Graced with nine lives, Acornstar had many moons before she was in real danger, but every life was precious. Quailprowler's heart fluttered- was this anxiety? Taking a deep breath, the large warrior shoved all of those emotions deep, deep, deep down. Buried like the bones of fresh kill, like thr body of the leader she loved. Once the cold, dark dirt covered the feelings and thoughts she refused to feel, Quailprowler bowed slightly to the leader.

"I would be honored, Acornstar. With these dangerous times, I hope to grant you the sense of security to be able to navigate the political waters." She paused, thinking of an unimaginable ambush disguised as political parlay. "I think that once I can resume my duties, it may be responsible to train together, so I may learn how you fight and you I, so we can be compatible in the event of an attack." She finished in feral. Since Mottlestar had trained her, it had never been an issue before. But she would hate for them to collide or such in the middle of a battle.