- 957
- #1
Sunseer sat patiently on the cool stone of the Sunspot, the tip of his long, spotted tail dipping in the gentle current of the river. The day's work was done, and the night patrols had been seen to. Everyone was fed and well.
Everyone except Skysong, that is.
Despite her practiced steps and quiet demeanor, the blind leader's sensitive ears picked up the pale she-cat's movements long before she joined him. They said nothing as she left the treeline and took her spot on the rock beside him. Tension hung heavy in the night air. After a long pause, he sighed and flicked the water off his tail before laying it at her side.
"Well then. Let's hear it."
"Hear what, sir." She replied flatly. Not really a question.
"Skysong you know very well you can speak freely to me. As my deputy, I trust your--"
"Do you?" The words were thrown from her lips like a flash of claws, sharp and quick. And quiet. He heard her shift uncomfortably, reigning in that little bit of her true self she had let slip out from between her tightly clenched teeth.
"I do," He replied, his tone sure. Genuine. "I wouldn't have chosen you otherwise. But you need to trust me." Another sigh, "The way you spoke today, questioning my decision, my capabilities in front of another cat," He felt her tail lash across the stone, ignored it, and carried on, "It was entirely uncalled for. We must present a united front, regardless of our personal feelings on the matter. You know that." Sunseer's tone is firm, but there is no anger here. Only disappointment and then, concern. "You have been angry with me for a while now. You never had any issues coming to me with your concerns when we were home in the mountains. What's different? What is wrong?"
If Sunseer could have seen the flash of her cold, blue-grey eyes, he might have flinched.
"What's wrong?" She let out a bark of mirthless laughter as she looked at him for the first time since he dismissed her in front of the newly acquired stray. Incredulous, hurt. So many things she wanted to say, wanted to scream and yowl. They threw themselves from her mouth, clattering against her teeth as she bit them back. Skysong shook her head in frustration. No, no. "Nothing at all."
Sunseer settled down, tucking his paws beneath him and gazed sightlessly over the river while he allowed her the moment she felt she needed. To reel herself back in.
"You know, once I am gone and you become the next Sunseer, Skysong, you will need to be able to talk to your deputy. It is not a job any cat can handle on their own, that's why we choose our seconds so carefully."
He heard her mouth open and then close. She flicked a pebble with her paw. It hit the water with a satisfying sound before settling with many others at the bottom of the river.
"I know it's hard. To learn to trust again, after everything. When we lost our kits, when I lost Morningsky, I..." The old tom trailed off, eyes on a distant horizon, "It took me ages to find myself again." There was a light chuckle, a dry one. It wasn't particularly funny, really. "But you know that, you were there. You helped guide me back. You could have taken advantage of the position I put you in. Deputy, in charge while I recovered. Would have been easy." He turns to her with those eyes that saw everything and nothing all at once, "But you didn't. You stood by me, and stand by me still, even though you hate everything I'm doing."
He blinks as another stone plunks into the water below and returns his gaze to the river.
"...Not everything." She concedes quietly.
"Talk to me then." He waits, and when she is hesitant to reply, he prods her onward, "I can sit here and guess all night, Skysong, but it will solve nothing. Say your piece."
"I..." She began, tumbling words around in her mouth, trying to find the best way to put this, "I do not understand why you are suddenly changing everything."
"As things change, so must we."
"Must we?"
"Yes. We must." He replied firmly, sound in his decisions, "Change is hard. But without it, we cannot adapt, or overcome. Grow."
"...I am unsure I like the direction we are growing." Skysong admits, "You expect me to lead one day, lead these..." Strays, kittypets. These unburdened, soft--
"Cats."
"...Cats, yes. But they aren't my cats. Not yours either. What loyalty could they possibly have, they do not know us and we do not know them."
"Then let them know you, Skysong. Do you expect them to trust you blindly?" She was silent at that, "Give them the opportunity to prove their worth, their loyalty. Your judgment may be warranted, sure, but what if it isn't? I happen to remember a particularly tiny, weak little kit. No one thought she'd amount to anything either, especially when compared to her louder, stronger siblings." He felt Skysong's tail brush over his as she tucked it around her paws, "Now she's second in command, growing into a strong leader in her own right."
The greying tom stood, stretched out his legs, and shook the dust from his pelt, "Give them a chance. They may just surprise you." He flicked his tail, signaling for her to follow, "Come now, we should rest. We have training in the morning."
The pale she-cat was quiet for a long moment until she too rose to her paws. With a nod of her head, she followed her leader, "Yes, Sunseer."
Everyone except Skysong, that is.
Despite her practiced steps and quiet demeanor, the blind leader's sensitive ears picked up the pale she-cat's movements long before she joined him. They said nothing as she left the treeline and took her spot on the rock beside him. Tension hung heavy in the night air. After a long pause, he sighed and flicked the water off his tail before laying it at her side.
"Well then. Let's hear it."
"Hear what, sir." She replied flatly. Not really a question.
"Skysong you know very well you can speak freely to me. As my deputy, I trust your--"
"Do you?" The words were thrown from her lips like a flash of claws, sharp and quick. And quiet. He heard her shift uncomfortably, reigning in that little bit of her true self she had let slip out from between her tightly clenched teeth.
"I do," He replied, his tone sure. Genuine. "I wouldn't have chosen you otherwise. But you need to trust me." Another sigh, "The way you spoke today, questioning my decision, my capabilities in front of another cat," He felt her tail lash across the stone, ignored it, and carried on, "It was entirely uncalled for. We must present a united front, regardless of our personal feelings on the matter. You know that." Sunseer's tone is firm, but there is no anger here. Only disappointment and then, concern. "You have been angry with me for a while now. You never had any issues coming to me with your concerns when we were home in the mountains. What's different? What is wrong?"
If Sunseer could have seen the flash of her cold, blue-grey eyes, he might have flinched.
"What's wrong?" She let out a bark of mirthless laughter as she looked at him for the first time since he dismissed her in front of the newly acquired stray. Incredulous, hurt. So many things she wanted to say, wanted to scream and yowl. They threw themselves from her mouth, clattering against her teeth as she bit them back. Skysong shook her head in frustration. No, no. "Nothing at all."
Sunseer settled down, tucking his paws beneath him and gazed sightlessly over the river while he allowed her the moment she felt she needed. To reel herself back in.
"You know, once I am gone and you become the next Sunseer, Skysong, you will need to be able to talk to your deputy. It is not a job any cat can handle on their own, that's why we choose our seconds so carefully."
He heard her mouth open and then close. She flicked a pebble with her paw. It hit the water with a satisfying sound before settling with many others at the bottom of the river.
"I know it's hard. To learn to trust again, after everything. When we lost our kits, when I lost Morningsky, I..." The old tom trailed off, eyes on a distant horizon, "It took me ages to find myself again." There was a light chuckle, a dry one. It wasn't particularly funny, really. "But you know that, you were there. You helped guide me back. You could have taken advantage of the position I put you in. Deputy, in charge while I recovered. Would have been easy." He turns to her with those eyes that saw everything and nothing all at once, "But you didn't. You stood by me, and stand by me still, even though you hate everything I'm doing."
He blinks as another stone plunks into the water below and returns his gaze to the river.
"...Not everything." She concedes quietly.
"Talk to me then." He waits, and when she is hesitant to reply, he prods her onward, "I can sit here and guess all night, Skysong, but it will solve nothing. Say your piece."
"I..." She began, tumbling words around in her mouth, trying to find the best way to put this, "I do not understand why you are suddenly changing everything."
"As things change, so must we."
"Must we?"
"Yes. We must." He replied firmly, sound in his decisions, "Change is hard. But without it, we cannot adapt, or overcome. Grow."
"...I am unsure I like the direction we are growing." Skysong admits, "You expect me to lead one day, lead these..." Strays, kittypets. These unburdened, soft--
"Cats."
"...Cats, yes. But they aren't my cats. Not yours either. What loyalty could they possibly have, they do not know us and we do not know them."
"Then let them know you, Skysong. Do you expect them to trust you blindly?" She was silent at that, "Give them the opportunity to prove their worth, their loyalty. Your judgment may be warranted, sure, but what if it isn't? I happen to remember a particularly tiny, weak little kit. No one thought she'd amount to anything either, especially when compared to her louder, stronger siblings." He felt Skysong's tail brush over his as she tucked it around her paws, "Now she's second in command, growing into a strong leader in her own right."
The greying tom stood, stretched out his legs, and shook the dust from his pelt, "Give them a chance. They may just surprise you." He flicked his tail, signaling for her to follow, "Come now, we should rest. We have training in the morning."
The pale she-cat was quiet for a long moment until she too rose to her paws. With a nod of her head, she followed her leader, "Yes, Sunseer."
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