Clearing the air (c)

Sageroot paced as she waited for Sweetheart to join her. It had been a few days since the ceremony had gone awry. She’d hoped Adderpaw would teach the prickly warrior a thing or two. After what happened with Cloudychase and Wiggleworm she certainly wouldn’t have given her an apprentice with any less self-confidence! She settled down when the younger cat approached. “Come, sit,” she mewed.

“I wanted to talk to you about a couple things today. Firstly, I’m aware you weren’t comfortable with your warrior name when you first received it. I don’t know if your feelings have changed since then, but is there something else you’d rather I call you? I don’t have the authority to change your name, but I can privately call you whatever you’d like.”

Having been summoned by the deputy herself, Sweetheart knew what was coming. She full deserved it, but did that mean she had any sort of good conscience or guilt about it? Nope, not in the slightest.

Padding reluctantly over to Sageroot, the fluffy molly let out an audible huff of distaste as she sat down a fair distance away from her superior. Listening as the deputy began to talk about her name, it put her in an even more sour mood than before. She was correct; she absolutely loathed her name being so prissy and cute, or whatever. But it was too late now and seemed like a stupid idea to change it. Then no cat would know who she was.

"It's too late for that," she grumbled, not even bothering to acknowledge Sageroot's kind gesture. "What's done is done, it doesn't make sense for a warrior to be called something they're not."

Sageroot shrugged, one paw mindlessly kneading the dirt. “That’s fair. You may be Sweetheart deep down, or you may not. It’s your question to answer. I just wanted to make sure you knew that.”

She shifted position a bit and gestured to the cats milling about camp. “Look at them all. Y’know, I bet the other clans think all ThunderClan cats are the same. I mean, I certainly can’t think of anyone from ShadowClan or WindClan who I know as an individual. Still, you know what I see here?”

She looked down at her own paws. “I see a cat whose mind is built differently, who can’t really smell and hears too much. I see a clumsy apprentice who worked so hard to get where she is now.”

Sageroot continued, pointing to each clanmate as she spoke, “I see Sleepycloud. She chose to be here. She fought to prove that she belongs in ThunderClan. And now I don’t know where we’d be without her.
I see Hopepaw. She lives in a world she can’t understand the way others do, but I think she understands it in ways we don’t. I’m learning to communicate with her and I can’t wait to hear more of her thoughts. Or see them, I suppose.
I see Wiggleworm. This was before your time, but he was treated really badly as a young apprentice, before I started training him. And look at him now! He’s come back stronger than ever. That’s what makes a true warrior.

I see Adderpaw,” she mewed, then turned back to the younger she-cat. “And I see you. You’re very different. But I do see some similarities. You’re both really confident, and sometimes a little stubborn. You both have so much raw talent, but you’re both still young and have so much more to learn. I know she can be difficult, but that means she’ll have the courage to fight any battle life throws at her. I see that courage in you, too.”

Sageroot stood up. “I don’t expect you to become fluent in Feral and have kits with one of them. But it’s my job as deputy to make sure everyone has the best life they can. I believe in you, Sweetheart.

And again, don’t worry about her attitude. She’ll grow out of it. And I know either I or her parents will punish her if we catch her cursing you out.” She chuckled a little.

Listening as Sageroot began to ramble on and on about the different cats of the clan, Sweetheart let out a yawn, though she tried to stifle it a little as to not get her ears swatted at. Glancing around at the cats who were buzzing around camp as the deputy continued, the warrior was only thinking one thing; who cares. Why should she care what other cats do or why they are who they are?

"All I see is a pawful of cats who shouldn't be here but somehow are, and a clan that doesn't know loyalty or where its roots lie," the dark pelted molly spoke almost in a growl, as she peered her cold gaze around camp. Why did they have to be the only clan who just let outsiders in? What if these so called "good warriors" turned around and attacked them someday? She hated to imagine such a thing happen, but at least she'd be able to tell every-cat "I told you so."

"Adderpaw is a spoiled brat who thinks she can get what she wants just because she has her silly language. Well I'm not going to fall for any of it, no matter how much she tries to act like her gibberish means something "nice," or whatever," Sweetheart practically spat, looking down to her paws and kicking some dirt around with a paw full of extended claws. She didn't need anyone's help with her own apprentice. She'd teach her a lesson or two about what it meant to be a real forest cat, if the time ever arose. Or perhaps it needed to happen sooner rather than later...