[Dizerel]

Originally Posted by arden

The RiverClan leader had never been one for physical affection - it had taken him awhile to even accept it from Frozenberry (a thought that passed through him like a sharp curved claw now) - so his first instinct was to pull away. But instead he remained in place, parts of him tensing up before settling back into their relaxed state. There was something... something akin to a spark, but it wasn't noticeable enough to Kestrelstar for the tom to hold onto it.

Between the notion that she was worried about him and her rolling onto his den floor, Kestrelstar stifled a laugh. Instead, the RiverClan leader lowered himself to the ground as well, rolling onto his back and stretching his paws upwards towards the roof of his den. Laying side by side with his friend, the gray tabby tom let a sigh slip through his jaws. "Have you thought about taking on another apprentice? You've done an excellent job with Featherpaw - from the looks of it she is almost ready to become a warrior. If you'd like, since I know you're not going anywhere, you could help train those who seem to have revolving mentors." It was something she would be able to put her focus in, and at least Kestrelstar knew that if he was in her position it would help him. Having something to focus that much energy on was beneficial for every party involved.

Of course Snakeheart had. With a mrrow of amusement, Kestrelstar's yellow gaze followed Junipersong as she moved to stand back up. He followed suit and was soon on his paws once more. "Snakebite doesn't scare me. Although, I am trying to take better care of myself, really. I... RiverClan has been doing so well, and I like to think part of that is because of the personal changes I've made. I'm glad I came back, despite all of the obstacles that have been put in my way. And I'm glad... that cats like you still choose to put their faith in me." The den grew quiet for a moment as Kestrelstar glanced towards Junipersong. He couldn't imagine living life without the massive brown tabby, his friend and confidant, right up there with Snakeheart.

Glancing towards the entrance of the den, Kestrelstar sighed. "Maybe you could go around and share your ideas with every other cat in RiverClan," he joked with a laugh, taking a seat once more before returning his gaze to his friend.

As they laid side by side for that brief moment, two friends just sharing their woes, she was brought back to simpler times. Out in the territory sharing stories or eating together. Or one of her favorite memories, setting up a huge event on snowball hill and challenging all of Riverclan to get to the top! It only took up about half a day but that was the best half-day of her life. Which reminded her of something else she wanted to ask, but that was for later.

Ears perked as Featherpaw was mentioned. A bit of guilt coursing through her about the incident she had that she still told no one about. Maybe she could talk to Snakeheart about that later? "Well I have only had about a moon or two with Featherpaw so far. I think I did a good job with Fierceroar though. I am so proud of the warrior she has become. Sorry, shield that she has become." Remembering the esteemed rank that her previous apprentice got. "I... try my best to teach them that you can fight battles without claws. I know it may not be in the best interest to the clan, but we should have warriors that aspire to prove we are more than just a group of cats who claws anyone that crosses our borders." Turning away. A bit ashamed. While she hadnt forced it onto either of her apprentices, she focused almost all battle training on defensive techniques, and constantly reminded the apprentices that diplomacy should always be attempted first. Was that right to do? Especially now with Featherpaw, Juni had been avoiding battle training with her new apprentice for nearly a moon just out of fear of if something bad could happen again. "If.... If you dont want me to do that, im sure I can manage. Helping give apprentices a reliable mentor is more important than me trying to reaffirm my own beliefs by proving them vicariously."

As they now stood in front of eachother, Junipersong got a special little sparkle in her eye at the mention of that. "You know, I never lost hope in you. Not for a single second. I knew you would come through. Everything is a learning experience, after all. You may dislike me saying it but... I hope that even someone as crazy and far-gone as Dawnstar might eventually be able to learn and turn themselves around."