[Arie]

Originally Posted by RedHead

Flintspirit shifted so he was sitting up, curling his tail around the sobbing apprentice as she forced out her story. He could feel his heart breaking for Doepaw, and he nuzzled her head lightly. "Hey... it's okay." No wonder Doepaw always seemed so skittish. Dealing with that at such a young age and also growing up blind? Flintspirit could only imagine how terrible, how scary it would be. "That... That makes sense. As to why you're now afraid of birds." Wow. Could he be anymore of a jerk today? Apparently so. "You know Doepaw, I lost my sisters too. I had four of them." The tomcat didn't talk about this much, it was a dark part in his past and something far away it didn't seem real anymore. But it was still a part that impacted him every day. He was alone, with no littermates to rely on. "Two of them died, about a moon into our lives. Then the other two... well... a fox attacked us. We were all so young. I barely escaped with my own life." Flintspirit closed his eyes at the painful memory. It was faint, but he remembered the yowling and screaming of his sisters, their cries of pain filling his ears. "But they all must've been ready to return to Starclan at that young of an age. And me? Well... I suppose Starclan still believed I had many things to learn before returning to them. And I still do." The tomcat turned to face Doepaw with a small smile. "Sometimes you have to accept the things that have happened have been for the better of your life. Even if they're devastating, awful things, all those experiences make you stronger and wiser in the long run." Cue the bittersweet smile. "I would know."

She listened to him, as her shaking slowly died down. Doepaw felt so incredibly sorry for her mentor... mentor? Was that even the right word to describe what Flintspirit was to her? No... She'd lost her own parents... Maybe... yes... that was the word... She felt so sorry for her Dad... He'd adopted her. Or so she felt like... He'd replaced something she hadn't realised that that even was missing in the first place. Nuzzling further into his chest she curled her tail around him, or well she tried to. It wasn't long enough by any means. She wanted to comfort him but.. the feeling of just acceptance, the heaviness you felt after having a panic attack was taking over her head now... She just wanted to sleep... But should she.... say... something? She.. had to.. Nudging him gently, she rested her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. "Thank...you....for....sharing... it with... me..." She didn't know what to say... but she would try... That was all she could do.. "Thank you....for... being here... I am... sorry... you... had...to ...deal...w ith... that..." Her sister was there again, in her mind... "I...loved...my...sister... But...I...can...function...she...could...not." She missed snuggling up to her littermate, but.. she'd never talked to her... because she never spoke... "She...didn't..know..things... happened... and... I... could.. not...help....So...I think...it's good.... starclan... took her... She's..safe...with... ma...and da... up there." She'd surprised herself there, she'd without meaning to let it slip... that Flint was the only one she had for now... Snuggling up to him she slowly began to drift off, her fears forgotten in this just calming moment of silence... of sorrow... and of solemness.. "Thank... you...Dad," she whispered to him before sleep pulled her under.