Mallowpaw
114/100
Mallowpaw may be sick and a recluse, but even she could detect the sarcasm in Brindlepaw's voice. She gave him a small smile that was supposed to be understanding- was that what she was supposed to do? It didn't matter. She was sick and so was he; neither of them had the energy to care about this sort of thing. Except it did matter, because this might be her one chance to make an acquaintance.
Or maybe even a friend. No, she wouldn't entertain that dream. An acquaintance was enough. Just someone to talk to. That was all she needed.
Then another cat came up to them. No, up to Brindlepaw. He sat next to him and wrapped his tail around him, starting to groom the other apprentices pelt in a loving, fatherly way that made her heart clench with envy and longing. And then Brindlepaw's casual, snarky words to the tom, who was now revealed to be his father. Mallowpaw turned her head away from the pair, feeling hot tears prick her eyes. No, she couldn't cry, not here, not at this meeting. But as hard as she fought them, they spilled over, trickling down her cheeks. She stared at her paws as they fell on the ground, struggling to regain control.
Eventually she managed to block the tears, shoving the storm of emotions into the depths of her gut as Bumblestar began speaking. Okay. Kits becoming apprentices. She focused on them, at their excited faces. Except... one face wasn't. Mallowpaw's eyes fell upon Cherrykit as he declared he wanted to stay a kit. Surprise flitted through her; she didn't understand why a kit wouldn't want to become an apprentice. When she was one she had looking forward to it for moons; she remembered her excitement on the day of her apprentice ceremony.
If she had known those days were the best of her life she wouldn't have been so excited.
Her eyes moved from Eveningkit to the cat next to him. Maybe they were friends, and he didn't want to become an apprentice without her? Either that, or he had a better understanding of how much good kit life was than she had at his age.
Reassignments were next, then news of outsiders joining. Mallowpaw wondered how old Echopaw and Streampaw were. There was a possibility they were older than her; she hoped they were. Sure, they would have a valid reason for being overaged, which she didn't, but still, it was better than nothing.
Two cats had been exiled for treating their kits badly, and another for not returning through the proper channels. The news passed through her ears without soaking into her brain; they didn't matter much to her. No-one was killed, that was the only thing that she cared about. Yes, she was a pacifist, but... she didn't want cats to be killed unless they had to be. She understood that cats died and cats that threatened ThunderClan needed to be dealt with, but she still preferred exile over death.
News of a name change, and then Bumblestar announced the lockdown had been lifted. It didn't affect her much; Wolfhive had been able to take her out before anyway. The only difference was that she could now ask warriors for training, but Wolfhive would probably cover the last of it soon anyway and she was getting too sick to train. She would still agree to it if asked, but she had no desire to seek it out herself. She just wanted to sleep; right now and during the last moon.
Risingstorm and Brackenclaw had been promoted to Hornets. Brackenclaw she hadn't seen around much, but Risingstorm would be good in the position. Probably. Stars, she just wanted this meeting to end already so she could curl up and sleep her sadness away.
Re: ThunderClan Stormcrest
