Merry found the return to the camp a daze, everything had been a little too busy. Such a strange muddle of fear and excitement and dread. Ever since he had come back, it felt like he came back
wrong. Something was different. It wasn't like he would be utterly normal after his... Death. But even so, he didn't feel quite right even days after the camps had reunited. He could still breath fine, though he hadn't taken the challenge of running, but he felt more dazed, scatter brained almost. He tried not to mull on it too much, not when it seemed, of all things his emotions had been in utter disarray.
Alone, he could think straight, but with the coming and going of his clanmates, his emotions fluctuated in a way he could barely contain. His throat tighening as if he were to cry his eyes out, fury that would scorch the earth below him. It was confusing, distressingly so, but as he sat in the wrecage of the camp, listening passively to Dustystar talk to the clan, he was just trying to advert his gaze from the collapsed apprentice den.
That was, until, a voice cut through his thoughts. Warm and reassuring, Merry still couldn't believe how much he had grown to trust Dimming. But how coudn't he, he saved his life and stepped up when the Gale Guard was in no state to help the cats the two had been in charge of. It took him a moment, but the tom nodded gently, giving the medicine cat a watery smile.
"'Course I can, Dimmin', I'll help divvy out work 'nd I'll come see ya'." He hummed. Honestly, he was just glad his voice was back, the rasp of it was painful even on his own ears, at least now he could speak again without such agony.
As his gaze fluttered across the crowd of cats, his gaze fell on Jaypaw. It was hard not to see the tiny kitten determined to follow him around the barn, the one so proud to have his sister as his mentor, the same one pleading in the flooding tunnel for his life. A pang of ache scraped across his chest, the tortie padding towards the apprentice as he draped his tail across his shoulders.
"If ya' want somethin' to do, we still need prey, I know there's gonna be a huntin' patrol goin' out soon most likely, ya' can go show Sunny yer improvement huntin' while we were in the smaller camps."
His gaze flickered up, smiling at his sister, as he glanced to her apprentice. He still needed to get about her and Goldy to tell them what happened, why Jaypaw was so jumpy about the water, why he nearly refused to leave Merry's side. But, for now, the last thing the apprentice needed was to try to drag himself to help clear the camp when it had almost been his gravesite.
The tom left the apprentice's side, it seemed Dustystar and Goldenroar had it all under control, but even so he felt apprehensive to go to the medicine den. He wanted to be sure no one needed him for anything before he turned to Dimming to talk about what happened, he dread to think anyone hearing about that night before his own kin even had the chance.
Talking with
@DIMMINGSUN @Jaypaw ⏾ @Sunnyspring but available for interactions!