TEASELFEATHER
Over hill, over dale, through the valley and vale
do not weep, do not wail, I am coming home to you
They missed how things used to be, when laughter still echoed through the clearing and their family still felt whole. But deep down, Teaselfeather knew it would never be that way again. Those had been the dreams of a kit.... Foolish, fragile dreams of unity and warmth. Dreams that didn't survive the cruel truths of the world. The world wasn't kind. It never had been. It was sharp-edged and merciless, rewarding only the strong. And Teaselfeather was tired of pretending not to see it.
They had withdrawn from their Clanmates, from the chatter and light of camp. Even Hawkstar's once-inspiring presence felt… dimmer now. Everything did. The colors of the forest seemed muted, as though grief had washed them all in gray. " ...Mama? " The word was a whisper, barely carried on the air. Their voice trembled like a leaf in wind as they peered into the medicine den, mismatched eyes wide and weary. ThunderClan had taken so much already. Rosebelly. Their trust. Their peace.
How long before the world came for the rest of them too?
" ...Mama, are you up? " They stepped quietly inside, heart hammering, breath uneven. When they saw her, the air left their lungs in a rush. They hurried forward on unsteady paws, pressing their face gently into Flowercloud's fur, drawing comfort from her familiar scent. They stayed like that for a long moment, just breathing, feeling. When they finally spoke again, it was soft as rain. " C-can I get you anything, Mama…? " Their voice cracked halfway through the sentence, heavy with worry, with love and with the quiet, unspoken fear of losing her too.
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