[Hellion]

And if you're in love, then you are the lucky one

'Cause most of us are bitter over someone

"If only you could have seen him today," Duskrose's words did not leave her maw but instead reflected in her amber eyes as she stared upward to the sky above. Her forepaw still ached despite the few poppy seeds she had been given by a calico she-cat smelling of moorland and rabbit fur. The scent reminded her of Blazefang and dug deep the thorn in her heart for the loss of him. However, the twisted paw would heal and truly only bothered her if she put too much weight upon it. Sitting out by the mountain oasis did not put a strain upon the limb.

"Shrikepaw is going to be a strong warrior one day," Duskrose added to her one-sided conversation with Blazefang. She could only hope he could hear her and that he was spending his time in StarClan watching over their kits. "He looks so much like you, there are moments I think it is you walking through the threshold to greet me," She confessed, her regrets as a mate tugging at every loose thread of her wellbeing. "I should have gone with you to LightningClan, and then maybe I could have saved you, protected you from whatever took your life. I'd give anything for you to be here right now to see them, for him to know you," Duskrose felt a lump form in her throat and a cold breeze push against her pelt. It reminded her that they were in the mountains and far from the shelter of trees to provide warmth.

Rising, Duskrose headed in the direction of the Tribe's cave home, only to see another cat had ventured to lament at the oasis' edge. Circling to join him, Duskrose scented the raw earth smell that seemed sour and fresh—conflicting within her nose. He greeted her.

"Evening," She answered, humming along when he described the night as lovely. She disagreed with the quality, her emotions twisting and turning within her, making the evening anything but. Despite not feeling any sense of peace, she could agree that after their escape finding a place to rest and recover did provide security and peace.

Not even melancholy that invaded her heart so many moons ago could decline an offer of warm sunlight. She wasted no time occupying the space, closing her eyes to feel the warmth against her eyelids and ear tips. Finally, a heavy sigh of relief exited her body, as so did the built-up tension, her shoulder slumped. The sadness still lingered, but the weight was easier to bear.

Her ears flicked at the sound of his name, and her eyes opened, turning to take him in. He wasn't what she expected. In fact, in the stories she heard of the cat who killed and maimed her Clanmates, she expected something far more sinister. A demon of sorts. Bumbletuft with his pale coat did not look the part, but neither did death berries.

"I am Duskrose," She told him, turning her head back to soak up the fleeting few minutes of sunlight before the mountain peaks swallowed it up. "I've heard about you," She stated, not looking at him yet. "I know what you've done to my Clanmates, and I know what we've done in retaliation," Duskrose credited her love for Blazefang as to why she wanted to give an enemy clan-cat the benefit of the doubt. "We can sit here, together only because the tribe's cave is too stuffy, and I imagine we both prefer the peace of open-air," She offered, finally looking at him again, providing a small but meaningful smile. "If you are okay with that,"

DUSKROSE

youth | table base by phoenix

@ide

[Hellion]

And if you're in love, then you are the lucky one

'Cause most of us are bitter over someone

Her ears flickered, shifting ever too slightly to catch the lit of his voice and the words he spoke. ...of more recent stories,". Duskrose did not bother to glance in his direction again but hummed in acknowledgment of his words. The urge to scoff caught in her throat. She hadn't the desire to remind him that beyond the border exchanges or what was learned at gatherings, she spent little time worrying about the lives of rival clan-cats.

Excluding Blazefang when he was alive, of course.

Citing her experience as a mother, to sense when the slight muscle moved or ears twitched. This time to looked, catching the shift as Bumbletuft spoke with such somber honesty, it caught the she-cat off guard. Was that regret she heard in his voice? Guilt over what he had done. She didn't have the direct connection to the overall quarrel that made his name a twisted word in her clan's camp, and so she held no want for revenge or even desire to hear him sound remorseful. Yet, it stirred something in her, a reminder of the greyness to life. There wasn't always a black and white option to the world that sometimes paws had to be on both sides of the line. Hearts caught in the middle.

Grateful when he broke the ice further and freed them both from the haunting talk. She listened, ears pitched forward this time to catch every word; his joy admittedly was infectious. Yet, despite his ease into the happier conversation, the air caught in her lungs at the mere thought of losing track of one of her kits. For them to be missing. Thankful to all of StarClan that Shrikepaw and Mottledpaw had kept close, the dread that seemed to plague all mothers was quick to remind her of what could have been lost.

"I am glad they were returned safely to you, my kits were able to stay close to me, I can't imagine the fear you must have felt, but now that can be put in the past. What is important is that they are safe," She wanted her voice to be happy, but it came out strained, still stuck in the building panic. In the past few days, life had proven itself time and time again to be fragile and fleeting. Bumbletuft's most recent experience is yet another stone to the already constant weight on her shoulders. "My Shrikepaw likes to boss around his sister; we probably would have heard him telling her not to step in every puddle before we ever saw them," Again, she tried to lighten the mood up, even more, anything to offer relief from the pressure, the thought of Shrikepaw navigating the terrain with his sister in tow was comical simply because of their difference. And in the safety of a hypothetical situation, she could smile at the thought.

His tone shifted, once again, returning to place Duskrose knew all too well. That tone of voice is reserved for cats at gatherings and polite conversation at border run-ins. Not that she minded, yet, she couldn't help but want to hear him chuckle again. Fleeting as the sound had been, it was soothing. Reminded her, as she often needed to be, that life wasn't always tense and exhausting.

His question for her family's health came at no surprise, but she paused before answering. Not because she worried he would use the knowledge against her, but that she wondered how to talk about her family. A non-same-clan mate was not something to boast about, let alone tell a near-perfect stranger, but as they sat near each other, Duskrose wanted to say to him. The urge to release what she kept so poorly contained was almost too much to bear, but she kept it.

"My family is pretty small. My parents died a long time ago, my brother and I have been on our own for a bit. My kits are with me, their father is in StarClan, I think, we sort of lost touch," She kept it direct but honest, taking a moment to glance and attempt eye contact with him. "What about you, any more kits? A mate?" Her inquiry was sincere even if her cheeks rosied; it wasn't necessary if he had a mate, but still, the question slipped out before she had a chance to reel it back in. Instead of looking directly at him while he prepared his answer, she looked away, getting herself lost in following the distant outline with her eye.

DUSKROSE

youth | table base by phoenix