nothing in the world belongs to me but my love [C]

Perchstar did not mind the rain. Most weather she could deal with, and with her sleek RiverClan fur that more often repelled water like the back of a duck than soaked it in like a fluffier pelt would, the wet sensation of droplets falling from the sky did not perturb her. She also did not care one way or the other about the firm ground underpaw giving way to softer mud and myriad puddles. But to be fair, she would hardly have noticed even if the territory had suddenly been afflicted by the worst storm in centuries. All she could focus on right now was the presence of the cat by her side. Rookflight: her former apprentice, currently grown into a talented young warrior, and as like her own kit in all but blood. She did not stare down at them as she walked. Her eyes were fixed ahead of her, looking at the path before, but she did not see it any more than necessary to keep her paws moving. If she looked down at him, she would not be able to tear her eyes away, and then she would make a fool of herself by colliding with a tree or something else foolish. So instead, every other sense focused on the warrior walking next to her. Even simply their presence felt like an act of comfort. Though they remained in a congenial silence, she felt almost healed just by being close to them.

The previous night had been... difficult. Though the leader had never been any stranger to nightmares of various intensities, the one she had suffered from until the early hours of the morning had rivaled some of her post-war struggles in its potency. Nothing had caused it. Nothing had triggered it. She had simply been lost within the annals of her mind, consumed by the piercing pain of the deaths she'd experienced, chased by bloody visions of cats she'd lost and the shattered corpses of some she had not yet been forced to lose... among whom had been Rookflight. Her brain constructed for her, in its infinite skill at creating such scenes, an alternate reality in which she had brought them to the war with SkyClan. In this twisted vision she saw their form mangled in Birdstar's jaws, torn apart as if by a rabid fox, and then tossed in the river to float away while Perchstar remained helplessly rooted to the ground. Not even Poppyshine's gentle cajoling had eased the raw sting of the nightmare. Even thinking of it now felt as if a cloud would pass over the sun and engulf her in darkness. But right now, it could have no power over her. Rookflight was here. He was here, and alive, and well, and simply the fact that she felt the air stirred by their form next to hers and heard the gentle rise and fall of his breath meant that he was not dead. She'd recovered the moment that she saw them, and their presence here with her continued to ease the residual aching of her terror-bruised heart.

She had not even noticed where exactly they were headed; it escaped her that the place in which they ended up was not only the exact same path she had treaded so many times before, but the one where she had taken Rookflight on their first excursion into the territory. The first time they'd truly spoken together... the beginning of the relationship they now shared, which had evolved far past that of mentor and apprentice. In fact, she was quite unaware of her surroundings until forced back to reality by the sound of her patrolling companion's voice speaking to her. Perchstar allowed her gaze to travel down and meet Rookflight's eyes, which looked up at her with such admiration that she nearly froze in her tracks. The quiet and sensitive tom rarely displayed their emotions in such a way. Even now, their tone remained subdued as they expressed their gratitude towards her. Gratitude that she frankly felt she did not deserve. She had mentored them, it was true, but... to say that the cat they had become was thanks to her felt untrue. They had become so on their own merit.

Perchstar shook her head lightly, but the gesture carried no sternness nor condemnation. "You give me too much credit," she said, feeling the tip of her tail twitch as she said so. "Even without my guidance, or my continued presence, you would be a capable and accomplished warrior. You have several friends, and for good reason. They would love you regardless of my involvement." Willowwisp among them. It gladdened her that the two quiet and intelligent cats had gotten along so well. Perhaps, if she'd met a cat like Rookflight when she had been their age, she would not have turned out so poorly adjusted--but that thought did not belong in this conversation. "With that said... I feel grateful that I was able to be your mentor. You have blessed my life in many ways, and I thank you in turn for putting up with my moments of weakness and my terribly busy schedule. It was not ideal that I mentored you alongside two other cats simultaneously. I would have liked to give you more individual time." Remembering the patrol in which they'd all fought a goose together suddenly made her think of Cindersky; she dismissed the image. Rookflight's presence grounded her. She still had not looked away from their yellow eyes, even as they turned to look at the distance. "The fact that you can stand my many flaws, as both a mentor and a figure of leadership, means much to me. You have been there for me when I needed you, even when it was not proper of me to request your assistance, so... I believe that I owe you many thanks, as well."