Younger Brother

(happens after hickory's dog issue

Happens BEFORE the gathering mess)


The recent incident with the dog had been enough to make Stormwatcher be fully on edge again. His apprentice was nearly killed, he closed his eyes dreading the outcome had he been just a couple minutes later. It was a call too close for his own comfort. Hickory was a pain yes, and entitled and annoying... but he was his apprentice and darndest if he would not fight tooth and claw to the end for him.

He sat alone in the camp clearing thinking about it all. He had chosen a spot near outside Wolfstar's den. He told himself that was just coincidence though he knew it was because he wanted to see his older sister.

She always seemed to know what to do, or what to say. Maybe she could do ... something, though he didnt know exactly what that was or what he was looking for.

Spotting her a short ways away as she left her den he kicked at the grass below him debating if he really wanted to go over to her but it was already decided.

As he walked over he tried to make it look like he had already been coming this way, older siblings could be relentless if they knew you were coming over just to see them.

As he got closer he 'pretended to just see her'

"oh hey Wolfstar" he meowed casually.

He sat down besides her

"well.. I uhm heard Hickory is going to recover in time" he eventually meowed.

This was about as close to him ever saying flat out he was worried for Hickory... which he very much so was. The thing about Storm is, he will say something like that but mean a slightly different thing. What he really meant was that he had been worried sick about Hickory and that hearing his recovery would take time but would happen made him relived but also upset that he hadnt been there sooner.

Wolf probably could pick up on this since she knew him well enough.


"Fox dung dog" he spat angerly thinking about the ugly brute of a dog that had done this to his appretnice and who had given him quite a roughing up as well.
Luckily for him he had been patched up without much fuss, the whole 'don't go out too early storm' from the med cat had been heard but mostly ignored.

He didnt even honestly remember the med cats name something he felt a bit ashamed of.. Wolf had told him to make more friends.

Speaking of other clanmates... it brough his focus on something else... the reason he both wanted to talk to wolf and didnt want to talk to her... He wanted to ask her about something she said... But didnt really want to ask her for knowing how older siblings hold that kind of thing over your head for. The embarrassing type of thing where older siblings wouldnt let up once they knew your intentions and secret.
"The erm other day, you said Stoneheart would want to spend more time with me?" He could feel his pelt go hot with a bit of nerves and his ears lay back.

"Was that meant to be a joke? Or like... for real?" he asked quieter glancing around. He hoped to great trees above she wouldn't make this a big deal like he imagined she might. The younger days of Her and Birdstar teasing at him from time to time were ever clear in his memory. And while it was what older sisters were supposed to do he supposed he dreaded it much.

With a weary sigh, Wolfstar stepped from her den. After a few days of cooler weather, it had warmed up again. Greenleaf not quite wanting to lose the grip it had on the forest. Hickorypaw was in the medicine den after a dog attack, and the news of it had left the leader feeling on edge. Another of those stars-fosaken beasts was the last thing Skyclan needed. They would have to drive it out, but the clan was in a precarious position. They couldn't afford more warriors being hurt.

Stormwatcher's voice broke in her thoughts, and she offered her adopted brother a tired smile. "Hey, yourself." She mewed.

"Hopefully... He is out of the woods, but needs to take it easy for now." Aggravating his injuries or risking infection was the last thing she wanted. The original injuries had been bad enough, something she did not enjoy seeing her cats go through. "How are you faring?" Stormwatcher's injuries hadn't been quite as severe, but she was still worried for him.

"She considers you a friend, though I think I'd get my ears clawed off if I said that in her presence. You both have few enough of those." Wolfstar mewed, the fluffy she-cat was out on patrol right now, probably keeping to her usual stoic silence. And, just because she could see the look on Stormwatcher's face and couldn't resist poking at him just a little, "And really... She's good at keeping you on your paws." She added, whiskers twitching with amusement.

When you know someone for long enough you get to know mannerisms they give off. Stormwatcher's whiskers twitched a bit uncomfortable as he noticed how exhausted his adoptive sister was. She was under the stress it appeared, surely the news of Hickory hadn't exactly made it any easier.

He gave a momentarily little smile to try and provide something but it lasted only a second before vanishing just as quickly.

He nudged at her shoulder poking at her gently with a front paw. "I'm fine, you know me. Some fox dunged dog can't keep be down." he muttered quietly at her worries and flicked his tail as if physically brushing aside any set of concern she had for him.

"What about you? ... You seem... well she seemed tired and like she needed help of some sort but he knew mentioning that wouldnt go over and that she would brush it off just as he would brush off any of his injuries... why were they like this he wondered to himself.

"Well.... whatever, you know we have an army of apprentices you could assign things to if you get too busy" he meowed... Hopefully that wouldn't turn into apprentices and a younger brother. Though if it did.. he deep down would help her where he could, it was much more fun to joke at her when she had energy.

His ears perked up like a rabbit's at the mere mention of Stoneheart and his pelt got all hot again as he looked at his paws.
"oh really?" he managed to meow. He was so busy thinking about her in his daydreamy state, he almost missed the subtle remark his sister made about his rather lack of friends.
"Hey! I've gotten better!" he meowed in slight protest he flicked his tail at her unable to think of a proper comeback to that.

"It worries me that nobody's seen a sign of the beast since." Perhaps the dog was truly not on the territory anymore, but Wolfstar would remain uneasy. "I'm glad you're alright, though." She was tired. Tired of seeing her clanmates injured, especially.

"I'll survive." Wolfstar offered a shrug, "Not the first time I've been this busy, and it won't be the last. Plumleaf was always sickly... This is more of the same, really." She worried for Thymelight, their current medicine cat. It seemed as though Skyclan's medicine cats had trouble taking care of themselves more than anything, even Smokepetal. She might have to ask Hemlockfox to come back home after all, Windclan had surely been helped enough by now. "At least I get to spend more time one on one with the apprentices while dragging them off to the moonstone." That part at least was enjoyable, and spending time with the younger cats in the clan who were on their way to becoming warriors was something she needed to do more often.

"A few of them are close to becoming warriors, at least." Wolfstar smiled at that, "So that'll free up a few of you mentors, as well." Herself included, "Of course, I can always assign you all some of the more menial tasks around camp too..."