wouldn’t you take the day off, mother nature? [c]

Forest Speak
Feral Speak

Between Wiggleworm’s sudden disappearance and the fact she now found herself expecting kits, Silverdusk found she had become negligent of Mountainpaw’s training. The fact did not bode well with them, this did not reflect well on them as a mentor, nor the fact that her first apprentice, Lionpaw, had not completed his training either. In part, they felt like an apprentice themselves again, like Mountainpaw was her chance at redemption. Sageroot trusted them, and despite her condition and troubled thoughts, Silverdusk would not let the deputy down. The tall warrior craned their head into the apprentices den “Mountainpaw, shall we train?” It was a rhetorical question, and they were out the door before the young she-cat could refuse, though they highly doubted she would. One thing the silver molly had learnt from spending so much time around Mountainpaw’s kin was that none of them were lazy, she doubted their own apprentice would be the first to break that trend. She waited by the camp entrance, trying to ignore how nice it felt to sit down, and rest their aching bones. If this was what it was like to be a queen or an elder then they didn’t want it. The sooner these kits came the better. It would be even better if their father came home too. If. They missed Wiggleworm.

It did not take long for her niece to join her. Silverdusk smiled fondly and led her out of camp. “Sorry I have not been the best mentor. There is no excuse, and I am making your mother look bad. Quailprowler trained me better than this.” they mewed. Normally she walked with a brisk pace, but she needed to conserve her energy if their training session was to be productive. Maybe she’d be blessed for being so stubborn during her pregnancy, most cats would have graciously stepped away from their duties by now, but Silverdusk refused. This was just another challenge, and besides, it was nothing compared to the sickness they had endured during their apprenticeship. When their body stopped working then she would consider taking a rest. “Today I want to see how much you know about hunting. Greenleaf is fast approaching and prey is abundant, I am sure you will catch something. See what you can do.” they instructed. With Lionpaw they had given him a hint, but she wasn’t sure Mountainpaw needed, or wanted that. Hunting also wasn’t particularly easy nor graceful while pregnant and they’d rather not make a fool of herself in front of her niece.