Spiderpaw stood tiredly, walking alongside Briartail through the clearing as they approached the fresh-kill pile. Spiderpaw's belly ached with hunger, and from the look in Briartail's eyes, hers did too.
For a moment, Spiderpaw thought she looked as tired as he did. Her eyes were dull and her tail hung down lowly.
Spiderpaw noticed that from across the camp Echostar was staring in their direction and was making her way towards them. Briartail's eye shot open and she tried to quickly clean herself before she could notice.
"Briartail," Echostar meowed. To Spiderpaw's relief, she wasn't snarling. Instead her eyes were calm, and her tail wasn't lashed up like usual. "I'd like a word with you."
"Oh," Briartail uttered. "Sure."
Spiderpaw watched as Briartail picked herself up and waited for Echostar to do the same. She looked at Spiderpaw too, although unlike usual, her eyes were not sharp. "I see I've interrupted you both," she meowed.
"No, no," Spiderpaw tried to assure her. But Echostar interrupted him with a softer voice than she usually used. "I apologise. She's not in any trouble, and you're free to come along if you are interested."
"Really," Spiderpaw assured. "I don't want to intrude."
He wasn't sure whether him and Briartail were on the best of terms after the cold way she had treated him at the Gathering, he quickly took a few steps back and turned away.
Echostar stood rigidly for a moment, looking across at the medicine cat. "Let me rephrase that," she began. Spiderpaw realised that even when her voice was calm, he still associated her with being cold and angry - like she that had been every day since Rocktail's attack.
"Come," she finished. "This is something I think you'd be interested to hear."
Spiderpaw dipped his head. "Sure."
He followed Echostar up towards the corner of the clearing where her nest was. The leaves overhanging the entrance looked comfortable, and Spiderpaw realised with surprise that he hadn't been here in a while. The only thing that looked familiar was the remains of a pigeon that lay on the ground.
"Trust Cometcloud not to clean up after himself," Echostar beamed, bending herself down and collecting the demolished bird. "Don't mind me, I'm going to just get rid of the bones Cometcloud's left behind. I'll only be a minute."
As Echostar left, Spiderpaw and Briartail exchanged an equally surprised glance. Spiderpaw could tell his sister's emotions through her glance - she couldn't believe Echostar wasn't angry.
Soon after though, the sandy feline re-entered. "I apologise," she sighed. Her energy had seemed to had faded a little, but her tail was still settled and she let out a beam. "Cometcloud has been leaving prey in my den to make up for the fact I ate his pigeon when he fell asleep a quarter moon ago."
Spiderpaw couldn't help but beam back at her. He was delighted that the leader had a mate that made her look so much brighter.
However, Spiderpaw could see that no matter how hard she tried to fake the look, she still looked insecure and edged through her eyes. Perhaps she was trying to put on an image in front of her warriors.
"Anyway," she meowed. "I mustn't fuss anymore."
Spiderpaw sat down a noticeable amount of paces away from his kin and sat down on a small pile of leaves. Briartail did the same, and Echostar dipped her head.
"I know Heronkit has been a bother for you recently," Echostar meowed. "I apologise for her behaviour."
Briartail licked her paw and flicked her ear quickly. "That's not her fault," she uttered.
Echostar sighed. "Well anyway, since the whole incident involving her, I feel like she looks up to you as almost a role model, in a strange way."
Spiderpaw felt a rush of concern as Briartail froze up.
"And although she is a little defiant, because you know how she is, I would like you to mentor her - for the time being. She is not ready to start her apprentice training, and I know that as her kin. But we have postponed her training long enough, and she needs someone to teach her the basics before she starts her training."
Briartail didn't say anything for a few moments. "You mean, you want me to mentor her?"
Echostar nodded. "Hopefully until she becomes a warrior."
Suddenly, Briartail relaxed a little, but Spiderpaw could tell that just like Echostar, she was hiding the way she really felt. "I'd love to," she meowed.
"If you don't mind me asking," Spiderpaw meowed, "How defiant was Heronkit?"
"As I said," Echostar meowed. "That kit can be the most defiant even if you filled her up with three sparrows and a rabbit."
She turned around and Spiderpaw felt a pang of sympathy for her.
"I don't know what's gotten into her. Maybe I've been too harsh."
"You have every right to be harsh, she's your kit," Spiderpaw meowed.
Briartail nodded her agreement, although she still looked too concerned to say anything. Spiderpaw wondered why that could be.
"Anyway," Echostar meowed. "I hope I haven't interrupted you too much. I'll inform Heronkit and you can start your training tomorrow."
"Okay," meowed Briartail. "Thank you."
Spiderpaw felt warm when he heard the genuine pleasure of his sister's voice.
Echostar dipped her head and indicated to them that they were free to leave. Spiderpaw patiently followed his sister out, and when the leaves tipped behind him Briartail lashed around - and for a second he was convinced she was going to shout.
"Did you hear that, Spiderpaw?" she meowed. "I'm a mentor!"
Spiderpaw flicked his ear in pride. "That's great." He paused before standing up and indicating to Briartail to walk alongside him, a little further down from the leader's den.
"You looked a little uneasy when you were in there," he meowed.
"I don't know," she admitted. "When she referred to me as someone Heronkit looked up to, I was just a little shocked."
"No kidding," Spiderpaw meowed. "You looked like a block of ice!"
Briartail nudged him hard, and Spiderpaw was relieved that he and his sister were on good terms again.