Put a Spring in Your Paw Steps | Wildspring Intro; Open

Ah, a face that offered some sort of comfort. He'd been awake all night, though that was lost on him. The numbness from repressed despair had made quick work of the night, so much so that he'd been surprised to see movement at all. Seeking some sort of reprieve from the deceased and their kits, they were more than glad to have caught sight of Wildspring. Later, Rabbitblaze would need to rest and then travel to the Moonpond to get his nine lives and new name. For now, though, he'd enjoy his family and the name he'd soon abandon. Privately, he would cling to it. To receive that sacred suffix was an honor rarely achieved, and he was blessed to have earned this sort of favor from their ancestors - but he wasn't ready for blood soaked titles.

“Good morning, Wildspring,” he greeted simply as he approached, dipping his head in greeting. “How are you faring?”

Rabbitblaze nodded. “I’d love to help, you know I’ve devoted myself to helping keep the Clan strong. Besides, I enjoy getting to see the fresh faces of the Clan. They’re our hope.” The words were slightly more cryptic than he would’ve liked, but the sentiment was effective enough for him. If any cat could overlook strange word choices in a moment like this, he was sure it’d be Wildspring.

Still, not like he wanted his brother to worry. It was Rabbitblaze’s opinion that Wildspring worried for him too much, and in turn it led to a vicious cycle of Rabbitblaze worrying for him.

All the same, he picked up the mice and a bird. He gestured for Wildspring to lead the way whenever he was ready. A simple enough task they could take care of quickly before assessing their next moves. They decided they might ask Wildspring to keep an eye on their new den while they rested for the journey to the Moonpond, knowing it’d be easier to sleep knowing their brother was near, as they knew already that they didn’t have to worry for the Clan if Swanmask and Wildspring were there to watch them. He wondered, somewhere deep inside, if Wildspring was jealous that Swanmask had been chosen instead.

Rabbitblaze couldn’t bear to put the pressures of being deputy and possibly leader on Wildspring, though.

Settling down his share of the delivery, Rabbitblaze nodded. “Of course, all of our Clanmates are important, but even the greatest cats were once kits. We can only hope for their bright futures.” He paused with that thought, sorting through the others left unspoken. “When I leave for the Moonpond, Swanmask will be in charge of the camp. I doubt that there would be any issues, here or for me going there, but... well, I was wondering if you would be willing to make the journey with me later today.”

Hm. He'd only meant to ask his brother to stay near the den while he slept, but when confronted with the process of asking... it somehow seemed less shameful to have a traveling companion. A line of stability while the world threatened to turn entirely upside down. He blinked slowly. “It might be reassuring for our Clanmates. It would be terrible for morale if we lost another leader so soon.” Yeah, that was as good a reason as any.