Tenderpine’s sleek silver pelt slipped out of the entrance of the warrior’s den, her front paws reaching out forward as she stretched her body. Her daughter was fast asleep in the apprentice’s den, exhausted from her first hunting lesson. The sun had only just begun to set, and Soulpaw was usually up until moonrise, so Tenderpine knew she must have really been worn out. Although, Tenderpine herself had slept for most of the day; it was her first time back in her old nest--freshly lined with new moss by Soulpaw early that morning--since her daughter was brought into Shadowclan. It was also her first sleep back in the warrior's den without her mate. The rest of the clan had several moons earlier cleared out the old dried-up moss that used to make up his nest, but Tenderpine still sort of expected it to still be there, right next to hers. A pang of sorrow lingered in her chest for a moment as the memory came to mind, but she let it pass with ease and padded towards the fresh kill pile. She had taken a lot of time in the nursery to meditate and process what she had gone through, but ultimately it was her faith in Starclan that pulled her through.
The young tabby warrior sniffed at the edge of the bountiful fresh kill pile, the lovely Greenleaf weather having brought plenty of prey to Shadowclan territory. She’d wanted to eat something Soulpaw had caught, but she’d already given her catch to the queens in the nursery while Tenderpine had been sleeping. She was so proud of her daughter, the two had had a conversation before Soulpaw headed off to her new nest. Tenderpine’s heart softened as she thought of her daughter nuzzled close with her new dennmates, though she knew that probably wasn’t the case. Soulpaw was probably sleeping in some isolated corner of the den, she would likely take at least a few nights before she warmed up enough to sleep closer. Surely when Leafbare came, though, the little black she-cat would see the value of huddling with her clanmates.
Tenderpine hesitated briefly before picking up a small mouse; she was quite hungry after having slept the day away, but she didn’t want to be greedy so she took something small. With her meal in her jaws, she padded over to a moonlit spot in the clearing and settled down to eat. She had just begun when she saw a fluffy silver pelt moving nearby, looking up to find Silverscreech. She was happy to see her daughter’s mentor, she’d meant to talk with her but hadn’t gotten a moment until now.
“Silverscreech.” She purred, making sure the she-cat noticed her lying over here. “I’m so glad to see you.” Her tone was genuine and her voice sounded sweet, almost childlike with how gentle it was. She flicked her tail as an invitation for Silverscreech to join her.
Tenderpine was eager to hear Silverscreech’s perspective, she had been dwelling on this ever since Soulpaw had been brought into Shadowclan, and not many others in Shadowclan would be able to truly understand. She listened as Silverscreech began to explain the story of why she left Shadowclan and started to hint that there was a deeper reason for her departure. She watched as Silverscreech stood up, getting to her paws swiftly to follow the fluffy she-cat to a more secluded location. She padded over to sit beside Silverscreech, looking at her expectantly and blinking her pine-green eyes. She nodded seriously at the fluffy white and silver cat’s request. “Of course, Silverscreech. You have my vow of secrecy.”
Silverscreech’s story sent a shiver down the silver she-cat’s spine. All her life the only thing she knew about Silverscreech was that she’d left Shadowclan for a very long time. Now she understood why, how could any cat feel welcome in a clan that they had such bloody connections to? She suddenly started to fear for her daughter, what if her origins were just as bad or potentially worse? Being a mother, her mind immediately jumped to the worst of conclusions.
“Silverscreech I… I never had expected such tragedies in your lifetime, starting so young too…” Her tone softened and she genuinely felt for the poor kit who had her memories and nearly her life stolen from her all that time ago. She just couldn’t imagine a father who would do such a thing, she knew her late mate would have been an amazing father in life and she was certain he was just as wonderful as Soulpaw’s father from Starclan. “But this makes me realize that you and Soulpaw were meant to find each other.” She mewed in a quiet response before letting Silverscreech continue.
She felt a pang in her chest as Silverscreech referred to the possibility of Soulpaw’s parents. She’d never wanted to consider the idea that she wasn’t Soulpaw’s true mother, that there were potentially two other cats out in the world who deserved more than Tenderpine to call her their daughter. She shook her head to clear the thought and broke eye contact with Silverscreech as she looked down to her paws.
She had tears in her eyes when she looked back up. “I’m scared, Silverscreech. I’m scared that what she will find will either kill her or keep her from me forever. I feel the need to protect her from what she may find, I want to shelter her and ensure that she never sets foot in harms way.” She sighed and looked away once again. “But I know I can’t do that for her, of course. Starclan has a destiny for every cat in the forest, and Soulpaw’s started before she even came into my life. Her destiny was written before I ever laid eyes on her, as was mine. If she is going to leave Shadowclan one day, I have to be ready for that.” Her voice broke but she maintained her posture and didn’t let tears fall. She didn’t want to admit the selfish thoughts that came to her mind, but Silverscreech had confided in her, and Tenderpine felt vulnerable to do the same.
“What if she finds a life out there that has called for her in a way that I can never bring her back from? What if the life I’ve built for her here doesn’t fulfill her and she finds happiness elsewhere? Who am I to keep her from that? Why do I want to keep her from that?” Her voice softened at the end and she went quiet, unable to look back up to meet Silverscreech’s eyes.
Yawning, Silverscreech had been checking on Zinniapaw after a long day out with her new apprentice Soulpaw. The white-gray striped warrior knew that her apprentice would make a fine warrior one day. She had managed to catch something on her first try while learning to hunt. Which made Silverscreech more than happy to see. Despite the fact Soulpaw was not her kit, she felt somewhat motherly affection for her. But she wasn't sure why. “Maybe raising Zinnia has made me softer…” She wondered to herself. In all, that wasn't a bad thing. The thought had quickly turned however to remembering her son Torrent. Despite looking, Silverscreech could not find any remains of her son in the river or on the banks. She would never see him become an apprentice. Much less, a warrior. The realization saddened her, but Silverscreech knew dwelling on it wasn't going to change anything. Sighing, she let the thought go.
As she began heading towards the fresh-kill pile, she heard a familiar voice echo through the camp. Turning her head towards the sound's direction, Silverscreech saw Tenderpine beckon her over. Silverscreech hadn’t really talked to the warrior before, except for the fact she asked her and Ravenstar to let Soulpaw be mentored by the white-gray striped she-cat. Knowing this warrior was letting her mentor her daughter, Silvercreech had grown curious. Why? Why would anyone want Silverscreech to Mentor their kit? Now she could find out.
Waving her fluffy gray tail in acknowledgement, Silverscreech's piercing yellow gaze went to a frog sitting on the side of the pile. Snatching up the slimy creature in her jaws, she walked and settled in next to Tenderpine, dropping her prey at her paws. Nodding, she smiled slightly at Tenderpine. “Evening Tenderpine. How are you doing?” She asked before taking a bite of her fresh-kill. The frog wasn't terrible, but a little chewy for some reason. Swallowing, she pushed it towards Tenderpine, offering her a bite.