And that's why we share all we have with you
Though there's little to be found
When all you've got is nothing
There's a lot to go around
Though there's little to be found
When all you've got is nothing
There's a lot to go around
.
Wavesong tried, stars, she truly did. She had lost her mate, not her life, even if some days it felt like the two were one and the same. The ache still lingered, a low tide that never quite receded, but she learned to breathe through it. To move through the camp with her head high, even if her heart pulled toward the edges of RiverClan territory more often than she'd admit. Sometimes she went there simply to watch the water, other times… to look for Adder. Just to tell him, if he was out there listening, that their kits were strong. That they were growing into bright, beautiful little things, full of laughter and mischief. She wanted him to know that part of him still lived in them. Yet when it came to Strawberrykit, the words always caught in her throat. A small, selfish fear whispered that, because she wasn't his by blood, Adder might not care. But Wavesong cared. Oh, she cared with everything she had.
Life went on. The nursery, once a prison of grief, became a haven again. She began to walk patrols, to feel the mud under her paws, to breathe freely beyond the reeds. And when she left, she knew her guppies were safe, Littlebrook had a good heart and steady paws. " Pike! " she called, voice lilting with genuine cheer as she spotted the silver-furred leader ahead. She trotted up and brushed her flank against his, eyes warm and glimmering with affection. " Thank ye fer joinin' me on this crispy leaf-fall day. " she chimed, whiskers twitching with amusement. " Feels like th' prey's gettin' ready fer th' cold, aye? We'll have t'be quicker than them if we want supper. "
She walked alongside him with the easy rhythm of old friendship, gaze flicking to the horizon as a gust of chill air ruffled her damp fur. " How have things been? An' how's Iciclepaw doin' with his trainin'? Feels like I missed half o' RiverClan while I was cooped up in th' nursery. " A playful wink followed, though the softness in her tone lingered. Then, quieter, she pressed a bit closer to him. " How are ye, truly? " she asked, her voice lowering, the humor giving way to honesty. " This'll be our first leaf-fall… our first leaf-bare as RiverClan. There'll be hardships, aye, but… ye don't need t'carry it alone. If there's anythin' I can do, anythin', ye can lean on me, Pike. I'm no fragile kit, despite what some may think. " The faintest grin tugged at her lips, eyes glinting like light on the surface of the river. " Promise. "
Speech, thoughts/emphasis