Camp RiverClan currents uncharted // pike

[Wavesong]

" Starfish! " Wavesong called out, bounding over to Pikestar with a bright smile. Her eyes were warm as she came to a stop beside him, gently bumping against his side. " Well, hello there, ye warm-hearted child. " She purred, flicking her bushy tail once as she regarded him. He had taken up the mantle of captain well. Still himself, yet carrying the weight of responsibility with steady determination. She could see it in the way he held himself, the quiet effort behind his every decision. Given time and the right guidance, she was certain that he would make a fine leader.

" Ye did very well with the namin' meetin', ye know. I love me new name. " Her voice was soft, reassuring, her eyes gentle. " An' I'm sorry fer Adder's outburst back then. Ye know he don't mean it like so… An' I can promise ye, he feels terrible about it. " She huffed, shaking her head lightly. " Jus' give it a bit o' time an' he'll find ye, with hangin' head. " she assured, giving a light wink in the direction of Pikestar.

But that wasn't why she had come. Not exactly.

Her gaze softened further, concern settling in her expression. " I just wanted t'know… How are ye doin', laddie? How are ye holdin' up since everythin' happened? Are ye okay? " A slight frown creased her brow. " Are ye takin' enough rest? Have ye taken enough rest? " A sigh escaped her. " I know yer bearin' a heavy crown here… Bein' a cap'n. Sorry, I mean a leader, is a tough job. "

___________________ We sail the seas of life and believe, ☆ The tides will lead us home ___________________

• "speech"
  

• 

• WAVE she/her, RiverClanner, thirty-three moons.
  ☆ a black and white lh cat with light blue eyes
  ☆ mentored by who / mentoring no one
  ☆ whichever relations / want listed
  ☆ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ☆ penned by lion ↛ lionheartedphoenix on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

 

[PIKESTAR]

Pikestar is lost in thought as he silently sits staring into the distance. Wavesong's call falls on deaf ears. It is only when she gently bumps him, that he is snapped out of his trance. H-huh? W-what's going on? Shaking his head, he finds himself staring at Wavesong. I'm... I'm not a child though... Let's not say that, it's best not to get into a little debate about that.

"Hey Wave. Song. Wavesong."

Despite the fact that he had given her a new name, it was still rather strange to address her as Wavesong. Maybe with time it will become more natural to say it along with the names of many others. He is glad that she loves her new name. He may have fumbled with a couple (especially Russetfall), but he wanted to give her something nice. He never named a cat before so the task was daunting. It truly is nice to know that she had no problems with it. He can't help but smile warmly.

"I'm glad. I was a bit worried you'd hate the name I thought of for you."

It's not strange for her to mention Adderfang, considering they were mates and had kits together. What is strange is that she apologizes for him, his confusion laced face must have been amusing to her. Despite this, he silently listens to what she has to say about the actions of her mate. He can't help but chuff and shake his head,

"I can tell."

While Pikestar was foolish in many regards, he was not blind to Adderfang's regret.

"He's been practically burning his eyes into the back of my head. It's a little unnerving."

It's not like he said anything wrong, Wavesong. I even asked myself why was someone like me chosen to be leader. I'm the last cat you'd want to be leader. Starclan had better options than me. Heck, Bayhowl could've been a better leader than me even though he's a grump.

Nothing else would be said about her mate. Whatever happened between him and Adder was something only they could address.

Her next line of questioning is... Terrifying. His paws were locked in place, refusing to budge. Green eyes while appearing to gaze into her own were distant. Nothing that left her maw was wrong. No, far from it. Her words bled nothing but pure concern. I didn't want to worry you. Do I really seem that bad? I thought I was doing a good job of hiding it. And it is then that the memory of pure exhaustion and the aching of his whole body worms itself into the forefront of his mind. How he practically dragged himself, nearly slipping from the trunk of willow. Guess... I really didn't. But it was so painful. No one told me it would hurt that much.

"I'm not okay."

The solemn expression he bears is more than concerning. Wavesong didn't need to pry, as he would sigh before explaining.

"I'm exhausted. I've been resting when I can, but I still feel like I've been swimming for days. Skyclan's leader, Hawkstar wasn't nice and practically threatened to send her warriors to fight us if we don't stay on our turf. Then, there's Thunderclan. I'll have to find a way to meet their leader and I hope they're not jerks like Skyclan. I'm thinking of assessments and training, all these things and I just... Never asked for this."

Maybe it is selfish of him to tell her all of this, considering she has her own things to worry about. She is kind to ask him what's on his mind and even care about him when it is not her responsibility. He isn't her mate. That title belongs to Adderfang and it is one he has no intentions of swiping. They are friends? At least he hopes they are friends considering how close they've been since the shelter collapsed.

"I know. I know I'm not exactly the picture of leadership. I don't have any experience in it either. I'm more used to following orders, but for some reason Starclan chose me. And I still don't get why. I don't think I ever will, but I want to better at this leader stuff. For all of you. I don't want any of you to be worried about Pike screwing up so bad that we have to go find somewhere new to live. It's just... Overwhelming."

 

[Wavesong]

A gentle chuckle escaped her as Pikestar corrected himself. She understood, the name changes were still something to get used to, even for him. There were so many cats now, all with names he had to remember. A daunting task, no doubt. " Nah, ye picked a fine choice… an' this way, I feel the song o' the sea is still with me. In me name. " She settled down beside him with a soft sigh. " He's… probably tryin' to figure out how t'apologize to ye for his behavior. " she murmured, frowning slightly. " I know a lotta cats shared his sentiment, probably… but he could've told ye that in a kinder way than he did. " She shook her head. " But that's fer ye two to fix. Not why I'm here. "

Her blue eyes lingered on him. He was tired. The weight on his shoulders was immense, enough to make any cat crumble. SkyClan was complicated, she'd heard as much. And ThunderClan… well. " The molly, at least, didn't seem like a jerk. " she offered lightly before flicking an ear. Then, softer she continued. " Ye didn't ask for this, aye. I get it. But ye don't have to do it all alone, lil' Starfish. "

She bumped her shoulder against his, offering comfort in the way only she could. " Ye got yerself a good heart, Pike. If ye want my advice? Don't try to do it all on yer own. Pick others ye can trust. A right paw, a lil' council ye can rely on, so ye don't have to carry it all by yerself. Yer gonna burn through those nine lives faster than ye think if ye do. " A soft chuckle escaped her before she turned her gaze back to him, gentle but firm.

She let the silence sit for a moment, the gentle lapping of water filling the space between them. The river had always been a comfort, its steady rhythm a reminder that life moved forward no matter what storms it weathered. She liked to think that was true for them, too.

" I know what yer doin'. " Her voice was softer now, more thoughtful. " Holdin' it all in, tryin' not to let it show. Feelin' like ye can't afford to crack, 'cause if ye do, everythin' might fall apart with ye. " She tilted her head slightly, studying him. " But ye ain't made of stone, Pikestar. Yer flesh an' blood like th' rest of us, an' ye can only carry so much before it breaks ye. That's why ye gotta lean on yer Clan. Trust 'em, let 'em help. A leader ain't worth much if they break themselves tryin' to be everythin' for everyone. "

She gave a small smirk, flicking her tail lightly against his side. " An' trust me, I'd rather not watch ye become a ghost of yerself before ye even get the chance to live those nine lives proper. " Her gaze flickered toward the river again, watching the way the sunlight danced across its rippling surface. It was beautiful, even now, in the quiet of this conversation. " RiverClan needs ye, aye, but not as some untouchable figure. They need you, Pikestar. The cat who cares. The cat who's tryin' his damndest to make this work, even when the world is testin' him at every turn. They'd follow ye through anything, but only if ye let 'em truly know ye. "

She turned back to him, nudging him lightly. " So… take yer own advice sometime, aye? Lean on yer Clan. Lean on me. We're here, Pikestar. We always will be. " For a moment, she simply sat there, letting her words settle. The world had changed so much, and it would keep changing, no doubt. But one thing remained the same, loyalty, trust, and the bonds they built. " Now, tell me. " she said after a beat, a playful glint returning to her eyes. " Have ye actually eaten today, or am I gonna have t' drag ye to the fresh-kill pile meself? "

___________________ We sail the seas of life and believe, ☆ The tides will lead us home ___________________

• "speech"
  

• 

• WAVE she/her, RiverClanner, thirty-three moons.
  ☆ a black and white lh cat with light blue eyes
  ☆ mentored by who / mentoring no one
  ☆ whichever relations / want listed
  ☆ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ☆ penned by lion ↛ lionheartedphoenix on discord, feel free to dm for plots.