[poppy]

 

Originally Posted by Jayvines

~Lioncrest~

He had anticipated a startled lashing out, perhaps a yowl to the heavens for the cruelty of the forest, or maybe just a simple grateful remark from Dovefluff; what he hadn't anticipated was the grey queen next to him to crumple and burying herself into his long golden pelt as she wept.

Stiffening for only a whisker of a second in surprise, Lioncrest quickly softened and curled his tail around the grieving she-cat as she lamented the pain and unfairness of her situation. She... found him to be worthy of protecting her at her most vulnerable point... A flame of pride burst to life in his chest as those pieces clicked into place. He was now a protector; charged with a new and sacred duty to this queen.

"I know Dovefluff... I know..." he rumbled, gently resting his chin atop her head against his side. He had been chosen, and he would fulfill whatever this queen required of him to the fullest of his abilities. "You did everything you could... shhhhh... I am here. I will not leave you to bear this sorrow alone."

His feathery tail brushed tentatively up and over the queen as he attempted to comfort her with soothing strokes against her back. He was as solid as a mountain; no force would move him from this spot until Dovefluff sent him away.

"Echokit was well loved and cared for. All of your kits were... Sometimes the way of the forest is simply not kind to those so pure... Sometimes kits must find their own way, wherever they may go..."

[ So sorry for the wait!!! ]

~Lioncrest~

A rumbling hum of understanding emanated from the golden warrior's chest.

"It certainly is odd to have to start over again," he agreed. "But I can certainly agree that we have gained a few moons of respite from our neighbors' aggression at the heart of our home. Staying secretive about this change will do Thunderclan some good; it gives us a chance to solidify our position and strengthen our members in peace without the threat of surprise invasions."

Shadowclan and Riverclan had lodged sharpened claws into the heart of Thunderclan, and while it had been a few moons since the most recent threat there was never a constant guarantee of peace and quiet while those two groups knew the exact location of their kits and vulnerable cats. No, the sudden sinking of their previous camp (while heartbreaking) seemed to be a blessing in disguise from their ancestors among the Stars... But enough about that.

"Are you training an apprentice at the moment? You certainly seem to be a capable warrior; Thunderclan's youth would have a solid chance at Warriorhood with you shaping their training."

Dovefluff

"I'd do anything to have them back. I don't know what to do... I don't know if I'm a queen or a warrior now, I just want my kids back." She sobbed, words muffled. Why did they have to be taken from her? They were just children. Her children. And how would she talk to Hawkbite at the gathering? her only friend from ShadowClan, surely he would ask about her kits. What did she say? How could she explain it?

The queen wept, unaware that perhaps she should've been more careful with her actions in her grief filled state, face pressed into the fur of the kind tom who had offered himself as the cat to comfort her. She wanted Morningcall. She wanted her best friend, but she wasn't here. So Dovefluff just melted into the comfort that Lioncrest offered her, her loud, heart wrenching sobs eventually subsiding into hollow sniffles as the gentle strokes of the other cat's tail lulled her into broken, silent calm. Like the calm after a hurricane, the silence, and the molly just stared off into space, numb.

Gently pressing her nose into his side, she wiped her eyes and nose. "Thank you." She whispered hoarsely, with a certain tone of defeat and numbness that only came with a parent losing their child. A broken cat, breaking more and more but somehow still holding themselves together after such a painful loss. She had been so sure that the grief would kill her, so how was she still standing? "Will you help me bury her?" She choked out, voice shaking and hollow. No one new had come over, and she assumed it would be... time.

The mere thought of burying her child, the final goodbye, made her want to vomit, but she miraculously didn't, sliding back to rise to a sitting position, legs shaking. She was shocked to realize that she was able to stand. That she was able to still breathe after the agonizing death of her daughter. That she could still function.

Crazy how the world kept turning even when you think it should stop.

(we can move this to willow's rise either with your next post or mine, just so the burial can take place butterflypost is coming out tomorrow!)