[Deleted]

standing here it's all so clear
i'm where i'm meant to be

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Most cats held the opinion that the older one got, the less one could learn. Rippedear disagreed strongly with that sentiment the older he got. Time had began to flow faster and faster for him. Moons slipped away without him realizing. He went through the routine he had established as a young warrior and stuck with it, but it had proven more and more difficult. It became harder to wake up for his favored dawn patrol. He moved stiffer. Two shredded ears gave him slightly worse hearing.

But even with the host of physical problems he felt growing inside, he couldn't complain. The time had given him a new perspective on life. No longer was Rippedear the stoic, solid, cranky tom of his youth. Was he a fluffy cat with a sympathetic streak many fox-lengths wide? No. But did he learn something about compassion? Yes. Ever since he had done his job in rescuing Fallenleaf, she had become a regular part of his life. He would stay with her in the medicine den (simply because he wanted to make sure she was okay, he told himself) and work with her after she moved out and back into the warrior's den. He had fixed her up a new nest made of the best moss he could find and as close to the center of the den as he could manage.

He did his best not to treat her like a kit, though. His intuition told him that would be a very bad idea. So the nest was where he stopped. After that, he would maybe bring her a piece of freshkill here and there or help her whenever she asked, but he wouldn't insist on anything she didn't want to do. It just wasn't his place. He stayed beside her as a friend, helping her to retrain and recondition her body after such a horrid fall.

Today, he felt like doing something and spending time with someone. His patrol duty had come and gone. He napped a bit, even. Rippedear felt something dragging him towards someone, and that someone was Fallenleaf. He found her outside the warriors den and approached her with a purr of greeting. "Hey. Would you like to go on a walk with me?" He figured walking would be easy enough on her, yet they could vary speeds and terrain to help her with conditioning if she wished. The whole idea of a walk was vague enough that she could adapt his request to fit her own desires, and he hoped that she would be agreeable to the proposal.

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rippedear «» senior warrior «» stoneclan
BlooRey DVD | fallenleaf «» tagged
434 «» word count
i swear they are gonna be so stinking cute together «» notes
i see the light «» lyrics

[BlooRey DVD]

[smear:f3e471]Fallenleaf
[/smear:f8c56a]

~~~~~~~~~

Before her accident, mornings had been difficult. Aging bones became stiff after a cool night of not moving. But she'd been managing. All it took was a good stretch, and she was ready to go on with her day. After her accident, mornings became one of the single most dreadful things she encountered on a day to day basis. Her shoulder would seize, becoming stiffer than a pine tree's trunk. It was like trying to move a stick rather than a leg. She took longer than usual to get up and moving. And it took a good grind of her teeth to stop the cream warrior from labelling herself useless.

This morning had been no different. Other than those who'd been on the dawn patrol and had returned to catch a little more sleep, Fallenleaf was one of the last warriors to successfully exit the den. Her bad leg stayed raised off the ground as she lurched towards the entrance, her gait awkward and hesitating after each movement. Once outside as to ensure she didn't wake anyone up, the senior warrior settled down to do some stretches. They helped in warming up her shoulder, making it easier for her to move a little more naturally later in the day.

Tired eyes glanced towards the medicine cat's den, before slowly inching towards the elder's den. Perhaps it was time... She wasn't all that old, but with her injury, it was more difficult for her to properly function as a warrior. She was certain that there were others who wanted her to move out of the warrior's den. There were those who thought she belonged in the elder's den. A flash of determination sparked suddenly and she scowled. She would not become a useless mouth to feed. She might not be as efficient as she'd once been, but her mind was sharp, and she could at least hunt to feed herself.

At least that way she wasn't putting stress on someone else to feed her. I am a warrior. She told herself, eyes narrowing as she threw herself into her stretches. Many of them consisted of testing the mobility of her damaged joint. It didn't function as smoothly as it once had, and when it came close to doing so, she was usually hit with an aching pain. Her hunter's crouch wasn't as sleek as it should have been, and for the most part she stood on three legs.

This didn't mean she couldn't hunt. She just had to think more, focus on what she could do differently. No more relying on the ease of her trained body. She'd just finished preparing herself when she caught sight of someone approaching. Ears pivoted in the direction of Rippedear as the other senior warrior closed the distance between them. Her eyes lit up at the sight of her friend, offering him a smile and a wave of her tail. Listening with interest as the tom spoke, she bobbed her head slightly, rising out of her seated position (albeit a little slower than she would have before).

"A walk sounds like a good progression from my stretches. However, I propose that we do some hunting before we return back to camp. A little extra prey can't hurt, right?" Giving her leg one last stretch as she carefully slipped into a bowing pose, Fallenleaf moved, bumping into him lightly with a grin. "Come on then, lead the way! And make it fun."

[Deleted]

standing here it's all so clear
i'm where i'm meant to be

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Rippedear touched her shoulder gently with his tail, letting the touch convey his feelings. He turned and led the way out of camp, settling his paws into a steady, measured pace. They could always increase their pace later once Fallenleaf's shoulder warmed up. For now, they would take it easy.

And talk.

Rippedear's worry for Fallenleaf had only grown as her injury still refused to heal. He was realistic about it, yes, but he didn't want to accept the fact that she would end up being a fraction of the warrior she once was. Could she work up to a ninety-nine percent healing? Probably. But that one hundred percent would always remain out of reach. He glanced over at his companion, lost deep in his thoughts, but turned away, not wanting her to see just how deeply he was worried.

She would hate that. Fallenleaf didn't want anyone to feel pity for her; she just wanted to return to life as normal. It was a fact he had to remember daily as he watched her and spent time with her. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, the she-cat had taken a hold on his heart one way or the other.

Emotions betrayed in his eyes, he turned to look at her once more. "How are you feeling?"

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rippedear «» senior warrior «» stoneclan
bloo | fallenleaf «» tagged
224 «» word count
you can have a reply now xD «» notes
i see the light «» lyrics

[BlooRey DVD]

[smear:f3e471]Fallenleaf
[/smear:f8c56a]

~~~~~~~~~

The soft touch of Rippedear's tail on her shoulder had puzzled her for a moment, but she didn't allow herself to dwindle on it. The tom cat had started moving already, and she figured she should follow him. The pace he picked was a steady, easy pace, one she was secretly glad for. It was fast enough that they weren't dawdling about like elders, but slow enough that her shoulder didn't seem to bother her too much. Sure, there was a dull ache that started in her shoulder blade and dissipated down her leg. But compared to some of the unbearable stiffness that she had to deal with, this was nothing.

A single ear pivoted, picking up on the distinct, heavy pawsteps of her walking companion. But that was all she could hear. That and his breathing. It was odd for the tom not to be speaking. He always seemed to have something to say. In earlier days, his words tended to be a little stiff. In more recent days.. He'd been friendly. It was a nice change, one she welcomed with ease. But she could also feel a heaviness about them, as though he was lost in his own thoughts.

She welcomed the sound of his voice when it finally came. Turning her attention to him, she laughed slightly. "Are you asking me how I feel, or how my leg is doing? Because those are two different questions, Rippedear." Her tail flicked his side part way through one of her limping strides. The limp was a little heavier than normal, just because she hadn't properly moved it in a while. She had no doubt that it would loosen up as they continued. Her pale eyes turned back to the path ahead of them as she considered his words for a brief moment.

"I myself am fine. I'm alive, aren't I? Can't ask for much more than that!" A smile crossed her features, as though she thought she was just the funniest thing around. She was just trying to lighten up the mood a little bit. She could see the worry in his eyes. That, and she was pretty sure the heaviness she'd been feeling earlier was the weight of his worry. Her tail tip twitched slightly, glad that she couldn't find any pity in those eyes. The cream and white she-cat could deal with worry. But the moment someone began pitying her? All bets were off.

"As for my shoulder... It's been better, it's been worse. I've just learned to.. Go with the flow. Just like rainwater draining through the stones of our home." Her words were followed by a shrug of her shoulders, one that ended up causing her to stagger a little more than usual. She was quick to catch herself, continuing her padding, waiting for whatever his response might be.

[Deleted]

standing here it's all so clear
i'm where i'm meant to be

≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡

"I myself am fine. I'm alive, aren't I? Can't ask for much more than that!"

Rippedear had to smile at that. He knew she would say something along those lines. Each day she had woken up with that mentality -- thankful to be alive. He was thankful, too.

"As for my shoulder... It's been better, it's been worse. I've just learned to.. Go with the flow. Just like rainwater draining through the stones of our home."

RainClan often used analogies involving their river. TreeClan adapted like leaves in a breeze. StoneClan was eternal. No matter what happened -- fire, drought, flood, storm -- they remained, unmovable like the rocks. He had seen such resilience in Fallenleaf. She had rebounded steadily, and refused to give up. He admired that. A lot.

So much so, that the words almost slipped out of his mouth. I admire you. He surprised himself with that. Such a tender sentiment, especially coming from him. That tail touch earlier was about as far as he dare go -- possibly even farther than he understood himself. He didn't fully understand where his heart was taking him.

At least his paws had some sense of direction. "I'm glad that it's not causing you too much trouble now," he mewed warmly. The soft moss underpaw deadened his footsteps until he was walking quieter than before. "Did you want to go ahead and hunt now?" Before I say something totally mousebrained?

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rippedear «» senior warrior «» stoneclan
bloo | fallenleaf «» tagged
236 «» word count
i still can't figure out how he's gonna tell her how he feels :c «» notes
i see the light «» lyrics