Spite was usually the first emotion that surged when Bumblestar felt grief - kill whatever had done harm, or destroy it if it wasn't alive - but with this? She was just raw. Grateful, maybe, but raw all the same, because having him so close but so far hurt.
She did hope that badger was dead, though. It had to be. Nothing could have survived this collapse if Jaystride hadn't. She tucked in beside Wolfhive to scrape dirt away from the clogged opening.
"I'm sorry." It was a hoarse whisper, wrought with guilt.
"That I couldn't find you in time."
Then he was gone, leaving behind the herb she'd begun to miss throughout winter, and she wasn't sure if he had even heard her.
With a single claw, she hooked a stalk of ragweed and pulled it into her mouth, chewing and swallowing, before nudging Wolfhive to do the same as she returned to the task. Her shoulder hurt from where she had fallen on it, and her muscles burned, but she needed out.
They needed
out. She didn't care what Brokenstar had told her, she would
not leave her son to die down here, broken and battered and forgotten along with the tunnels themselves.
Cold, fresh air rushed to meet them once they broke through the pile, daylight breaking through the gap. Chest heaving, Bumblestar shoved more out of the way. Thank
Jaystride for the herbs that took away the exhaustion, even if it would hit later. With a grunt, the cat-sized gap was finalized and the dirt had settled and they could get the
hell out of this forsaken place.
"You first, get." She moved aside to let Wolfhive out; if it collapsed again, she at least wanted him on stable ground.
The badger skull wasn't missed. She'd come back for it later, once they'd finished with the beast back at the Ruins. It would look good hanging above the entrance to her den.
[ @
BEAR. ]