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Post by absurdjinx on Jan 18, 2024 9:32:45 GMT -6
#s://i~ibb~co/f1f13YW/wren~jpg | wrensong, "so follow the ocean back to your heart
follow your fears back to the start"
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“ No worries, Riversong. I’ve got it,” Wrensong said with a smile, hoping the queen would be comforted by both the gesture and her words. She’d approached Riversong to ask if the nursery was due for a cleaning. She’d figured it’d be a good time to clean the den since all the kits were outside, playing in the snow while Riversong supervised - not that she needed to. Her children were rapidly nearing apprentice age and have matured greatly over the moons, but Wrensong assumed the main reason the queen still watched her kits play was simply because it made her happy to see them happy. Wrensong glanced at the kits rolling across the clearing, kicking up snow as they did so, and smiled at the sight of their joy before whirling around to start toward the nursery. The snow was a bit deep today and Wrensong was lucky she was long-legged, but it was still lots of effort just to trudge through it. Finally, she made it to the nursery, slipping between protruding roots and beneath the massive tree with a sigh of relief. It was a little dark under the tree due to the gray clouds covering the sun, leaving little light to filter through the roots, so Wrensong stood still for a moment to adjust to the gloom before she got started. She began with the nests, rolling up the mats of moss and tucking them beneath her chin before depositing them in the snow just outside the den. She’d remove the old nests from camp once she was done and fetch new moss from Ancestor’s Grove after. The grove was dense with trees, so she should be able to find some dry, albeit cold, masses of moss around the roots. The hard part would be bringing it all back in one trip. Maybe there was someone else in camp who also had some free time and wouldn’t mind spending it cleaning out the nursery. At least MistClan only had one queen and one litter of kits, so there wouldn’t be a ridiculous amount of moss to bring back, but Wrensong saw the way some of her clanmates looked at each other. It wouldn’t be long before MistClan had more kits in the nursery. Once she’d dropped the last scrap of moss onto the pile outside the den, Wrensong started searching for someone to help her. She scanned the clearing, but everyone seemed busy. It was still around midday, so a couple hunting patrols were out and those who remained in camp were working. She spotted a couple apprentices hurrying across the clearing, but before she could call out to them, they met their mentors by the entrance and slipped out of camp. And then her gaze fell on Frostfeather. After being abandoned by her father, losing her brothers and then her friends and then Spiderpaw, Wrensong wasn’t particularly close to anyone, but if there was anyone in camp she could consider a friend, it’d be Frostfeather. They would only babysit together sometimes, but Frostfeather was still the closest thing to a friend she had. “ Frostfeather!” Wrensong called, beckoning the silver she-cat over with a wave of her tail. “ Do you mind helping me clean out the nursery?” |
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Post by adrian on Feb 25, 2024 17:31:28 GMT -6
#s://i~ibb~co/Wpwx12x/frost~png Sporadically through her life, Frostfeather found herself in the nursery. Never for her own kits, but to help the queens. She would bring them food, exchange their bedding, and look after their little ones when they needed a break. It was her favorite chore as an apprentice and something meditative she returned to when she rejoined the clan. Sometimes, she imagined having kits of her own, but as time went on, she thought she would have to be satisfied in a support role. At least her brother had kits. They were her kin, and so very likely the closest she would come to motherhood, though of course she would never take that away from their actual mother. As she crossed the camp, she was pleased to see those same kits out playing. Cloudkit really was growing into a leader, and Swankit was so often behind them that she couldn't help but wonder if she was looking at a potential future leader and deputy duo. The other two needed time to come into their own, but it was nice to see them out more, too. Wrensong was with them, likely offering Riversong help. That was what formed their friendship, Frostfeather though, beyond shared duties in the nursery. Wrensong was so kind. "Frostfeather!" the other she-cat called out, tail waving in a friendly greeting. "Do you mind helping me clean out the nursery?""Of course," Frostfeather responded, giving Swankit a brief lick to the forehead before proceeding inside the nursery. The woven brambles provided surprising sturdiness and warmth from the weather, though she could see places where they might ask weavers to mend, later. For now, they would simply clean and maybe replace some nesting materials. "They grow so fast," she said, referring to Riversong's kits. "I may mentor one of them. There's no promise, of course, but my brother suggested it." |
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Post by absurdjinx on Feb 29, 2024 5:27:31 GMT -6
#s://i~ibb~co/f1f13YW/wren~jpg | wrensong, "so follow the ocean back to your heart
follow your fears back to the start"
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Wrensong watched Frostfeather lick a stripe between Swankit’s ears before heading in her direction and despite the soft smile that found its way onto her face, there was a pain in her chest that she recognized as envy. Frostfeather was so lucky to have such young family members. Briefly, it crossed Wrensong’s mind that Frostfeather was lucky to have family at all, but she chased the thought away before it could wound her too badly. Wrensong’s gaze drifted from Frostfeather to Swankit and her smile turned into a wide grin at the sight of the kit. She adored children and dreamed of having some of her own one day. One day. With Wrensong’s lack of suitors, it probably wouldn’t happen anytime soon, though. As Frostfeather neared, Wrensong whirled around and disappeared back into the nursery. She had a few heartbeats to move deeper into the den before Frostfeather joined her, glancing over at her friend as she spoke. “ They grow so fast.” She remembered Spiderpaw, her nephew who she’d helped raise and had vanished the day of the war, and how rapidly he had grown. Wrensong was a big cat, but Spiderpaw, as young as he’d been when he’d ran away, had almost been as tall as her. “ I may mentor one of them. There’s no promise, of course, but my brother suggested it.” Again, envy consumed her and she silently scolded herself for feeling such an ugly emotion. She forced herself to smile and tried to make it appear as genuine as she could, which wasn’t too hard, because a large part of her was sincerely happy for Frostfeather. “ That’s amazing, Frostfeather!” Wrensong exclaimed. “ Just to be considered is an honor.” Was Hailstar considering her as a mentor for one of his children? She hoped so. She liked to think Hailstar had noticed how much effort she’d put into training Cloverberry. “ If you had to choose, which one of them would you like to train? I think I’d pick Dewkit. He seems like the most easygoing of the bunch. But if I was looking for a challenge, I’d choose Cloudkit. They’re all wonderful, of course. All kits are. I would jump at the chance to train any one of them.” What the kits didn’t seem to know, but that warriors did, was that the easier kits were more sought after than the difficult ones. Wrensong could go either way, but she did have a preference for quieter, perhaps more timid, youngsters. |
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Post by adrian on Apr 27, 2024 11:40:30 GMT -6
#s://i~ibb~co/Wpwx12x/frost~png It occurred to Frostfeather that Wrensong might think she was bragging. She wasn't really, or at least not intentionally. It pleased her to think that she might play a role in guiding her brother's offspring into warriorhood, it possibly even made her a little bit proud, but she didn't want Wrensong to feel lesser for it somehow. But then she smiled, and Frostfeather was put at ease. "That’s amazing, Frostfeather! Just to be considered is an honor." Frostfeather could agree with that easily. She and Hailstar may be siblings, but he had to make his choices without bias to the best of his abilities. She hoped if she was chosen, it was because he thought she was the best warrior for the job. She was certainly one of the more traveled warriors, given her time away. But not all thought that was a good thing. "It is," she responded with a smile and a dip of her head. "I suggested you as a mentor, too - I hope that wasn't too forward of me."When considering which kit she would like to mentor, the answer came easily. Too easily, really, since she loved each of them. But Cloudkit had a lot of potential that she hoped she would be able to help shape into a confident, capable warrior. "Any of them would be wonderful, of course," she said. "But I am curious to see how Cloudkit will be as an apprentice and later as a warrior." |
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Post by absurdjinx on Apr 29, 2024 7:49:43 GMT -6
#s://i~ibb~co/f1f13YW/wren~jpg | wrensong, "so follow the ocean back to your heart
follow your fears back to the start" |
“ I suggested you as a mentor, too,” Frostfeather said and Wrensong immediately felt guilty for the envy she’d experienced just moments before. Frostfeather had thought of her as a potential mentor for one of her niblings and had even mentioned her to Hailstar. How unbelievably kind was that? And here Wrensong was, feeling jealous of Frostfeather. How horrible a friend she was. She promptly realized she hadn’t answered the other molly yet, leaving her to wonder whether or not Wrensong believed she’d been too brazen. “ No, no, of course not! I really appreciate it actually.” It’s been nearly a full year since she’d last trained an apprentice and she’d be beyond thrilled if she was assigned another one. However, she knew Hailstar was bound to be picky about which warriors he chose to mentor his children, so she tried not to let her expectations rise too much. That’s when Wrensong’s mind drifted toward which of Hailstar’s kits she’d like to mentor and it was an easy decision for her. She wondered if it was as easy a choice for Frostfeather as it was for her. These were her niblings they were discussing, after all. But she figured Frostfeather had a preference, too, even if they were talking about her niblings. “ You like the troublesome ones, huh?” Wrensong purred. “ Any apprentice will give you a headache at some point, no matter their personality.” The look in her eyes became distant and fond as she thought of Cloverberry. Cloverberry had been anxious in the beginning of her apprenticeship, to the point where she’d start panicking whenever Wrensong tried to push her outside her comfort zone, but she’d gained confidence over the moons. However, trying to find ways to help Cloverberry improve had resulted in many sleepless nights for Wrensong. “ I’ve always had a soft spot for kits and apprentices,” she admitted. “ Even the difficult ones. I’ve always wanted some of my own, but it never happened for me.” |
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Post by adrian on May 4, 2024 8:47:53 GMT -6
#s://i~ibb~co/Wpwx12x/frost~png Wrensong would make a fine mentor for one of her brother's offspring, Frostfeather thought. She so patient and kind. Maybe Swankit, with his avoidant nature, would benefit from her, or one of the gentler kits who could use some guidance. Cloverbelly turned out well, so she saw no reason why she wouldn't be successful with another apprentice. But alas, it wasn't her decision to make."You like the troublesome ones, huh?" Frostfeather chuckled - that might be true. Maybe it reminded her of her youth, a little bit, to watch over the more difficult kits and apprentices of the clan. And it was so rewarding to see their successes, after. "Any apprentice will give you a headache at some point, no matter their personality." Also likely true. Frostfeather gave her space to reflect, and then said, "You do have a good sense for this sort of thing, don't you? A wisdom when it comes to apprentices, I suppose." She wouldn't say so, but it made her wonder why Wrensong hadn't had more apprentices. Maybe Hailstorm was saving her for the ones who needed a particularly thoughtful mentor. "I’ve always had a soft spot for kits and apprentices. Even the difficult ones. I’ve always wanted some of my own, but it never happened for me," Wrensong said.
Oh, that was familiar. True to her own feelings, though she often held them a little tight to her chest. "I feel the same," she confessed, a little quietly to not be easily overheard by anyone resting in the nursery. "There must be such a joy in motherhood. Parenthood in general, I suppose. But I was gone for so long, and the opportunity never came to me." Courting a potential mate's gaze had never really been her priority, either - which of course made it difficult to think about having litters.
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Post by absurdjinx on May 22, 2024 7:30:21 GMT -6
#s://i~ibb~co/f1f13YW/wren~jpg | wrensong, "so follow the ocean back to your heart
follow your fears back to the start" |
“ You do have a good sense for this sort of thing, don’t you? A wisdom when it comes to apprentices, I suppose,” Frostfeather said and Wrensong couldn’t help smiling bashfully at the generous compliment. She’d never thought of herself as wise, but hey, Frostfeather was a smart cat; maybe she was right. Wrensong had approached Cloverberry with understanding, with compassion and empathy, which helped the once-shy she-cat to blossom into the sunny molly she was today. What of Spiderpaw, though? The boy she’d considered a son. Wrensong had failed him so terribly. Perhaps she wasn’t as insightful as Frostfeather seemed to think she was. Nonetheless, the flattering remark was appreciated. As she revealed she’d love nothing more than to know the joy of parenthood, the last thing she expected was for Frostfeather to agree. Wrensong looked over at her friend through owlish eyes, unable to believe what she heard, but when Frostfeather continued, she had no choice but to register the other molly’s words. All this time, she’d been grieving for a life that she knew she’d never have, but she wasn’t alone. Frostfeather understood. Wrensong could’ve cried, but she somehow managed to refrain from doing so. She rocked back on her haunches, as if she couldn’t carry herself any longer, and laughed. It wasn’t a dismissive or scathing laugh, but a relieved one. Finally, she’d found someone who shared her situation. “ I’m sorry,” Wrensong sighed, exhaling the last of her laughter. “ I promise I didn’t mean any offense. I just- for so long, I thought no one could understand. Having kits of my own is what I want most and as the moons come and go, my dream slips further and further away. I’m sure you know what I mean.” She shifted her paws against the earth beneath her. “ When I was younger, I thought I’d have a mate by now, a couple litters. How wrong I was,” she chuckled humorlessly. ” I came close once.” Wrensong frowned and stared down at her feet as she remembered Flywhisker and Spiderpaw. “ I wonder sometimes if Flywhisker’s death and Spiderpaw’s disappearance was StarClan’s way of telling me it isn’t meant to be.” |
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