What we never had [Bramble/Rose/Mistle]

Bramblenose walked back into the camp, two mice hanging from his jaws. He looked tired, but he walked with a certain strength that most tired cats didn't have. He was a strong cat, no doubt about that. Strong in the literal sense and in the mental sense. He had to be strong. With everything all happening at once, there had to be more than just a few strong cats around the camp.

He could see cats faking strength. Crooked-eye. Cavernstorm. Birchtail. Rookshadow. Starlingfur. Even a lot of the kits. But someone had to be strong. He would help them get through this. He wasn't sure how, but he would help them to the best of his awkward ability.

He especially felt responsible for Mistlekit and Rosekit. He didn't visit them. Not really. Every once and a while he would take them a mouse or something. But he never went over to play with them. Not like Swanstrike or Birchtail did. He just couldn't bring himself to do it. Even after he had saved them. Why?

He wasn't good with kits. At least, he didn't think so. He was a guardian, not a father. A protector, not an older brother. Yet, every time he went to actually try and visit them, he would get cold paws. And he'd make up some sort of excuse to leave the camp.

But then he saw them. Their furs brushing against one another comfortingly. Just sitting between the nursery and the warriors den. Alone and... they looked kind of sad. His heart ached a little as he looked at the curiously. Before he realized it, his paws were taking him towards the two kits. The ones he had saved from death. The ones he had found crying in the mud and blood of their mother and brother.

"What are ya two doin' alone over here?" he asked. That sounded much more gruff than he had meant for it to sound. Had he ever had a soft voice, though? He couldn't remember. He had always needed to look tough, sound tough. It was survival to him.

Bramblenose's ears flattened to his head as he heard the fear in Mistlekit's voice. This is why he never came over here. He scared a kit every time. He had to control his tone of voice. Or just stop visiting the nursery. That was always a solution. But then the kits would think he hated them, wouldn't they? Oh he was so conflicted on what to do now.

"I hadn't meant to sound so rough. I'm sorry, Mistlekit. Its just how I sound," he said, sounding a bit awkward now as he looked away from them, to the ground a few feet away. He didn't smile or even look sorry, though. He just seemed tense around the two. Which he was. He still didn't know what to do.

Thankfully, he didn't have to figure it out. Rosekit piped up again and said that they were going to take a walk around the camp.

"Let me join you, then," he commented, looking at the two again. His tail tip flicked back and forth as he examined Mistlekit, whom had once been so happy. She was on edge, any cat could see that. Perhaps he could try and cheer her up?

Bramblenose nodded and watched as the two kits began to walk around the edge of the camp. He walked beside them, tail low to the ground. It almost made him look sad. Almost. He looked between the two kits carefully. It was like they ahd completely traded personalities. When they had first gotten here, Rosekit had been the nervous one and Mistelkit had been the one to encourage him. But now it was the complete opposite.

"Patrols? Nah. Not today. I already came back from ah hun'in' patrol. The rest of the day is goin' tah be spent here, since I was up late patchin' up the apprentice's den."

He looked around the camp, looking for other places that might need patching up. The nursery is an obvious one. The Medicine Cat's den too. And the Elder's den. There were so many warriors in the warriors den, they could keep each other warm on even the coldest of nights. And then he could also line the nests with the pelts of their prey, which Starlingfur said to keep quiet about. He assumed she would mention it at a meeting.

Then they were coming up to the Elder's den. He knew who was in there and he could see Mistle tensing up as they got closer. He saw the worry clear in her eyes as she just stared at it. It was as if she was waiting for Birchtail to come running out, screaming that his daughter had died.

He leaned down towards Mistle. "It ain't your fault, ya kno'."

Bramblenose watched as the she-cat seemed to look up at him and then look away just as quickly. A small prick of sadness came to him and he wondered if she believed him. It wasn't her fault. She was a kit and kits sometimes got hurt. Cats blaming Mistlekit for what happened were wrong. They shouldn't do that to a kit. It was immature. Couldn't they see that they were hurting Mistlekit? Just the way they looked at her. He would have to do something about that.

Then she spoke and his ears perked. "The apprentices den? I sure can! After all, ya two will be in there in no time. Ya need ta kno' where ta go! Come on," he said. He turned ever so slightly so that he was heading to the apprentices den. He walked slowly however, so Mistlekit and Rosekit could keep up. He made sure not to go directly through the middle of the camp, as it was getting busier. And he didn't want the kits to accidentally get ran over if a warrior wasn't paying attention to where they were going.

"Who do ya two want your mentors ta be?" he asked as they approached the den. He looked back at them as he stopped outside the entrance, waiting for them to go in first.

Bramblenose walked into the den after the kits and watched as they explored it a bit. He stayed by the entrance, sitting beside it. His blue eyes unwavering as they followed the movements of the kits, ears perked as he listened to their little paws walking around.

"If I don't teach ya, th'n your mentor will."

He listened to whom they would want as mentors. Rookshadow and Starlingfur. They both had their pros and cons.

Rookshadow had recently lost her apprentice. He wasn't sure if she was ready for another. But she was strong and often pushed through everything she goes through. He could tell by the way she acted strong in front of others, but the cried herself to sleep at night.

Starlingfur was a strong she-cat. Wise and loving. But she was busy and had a sick daughter. Did she have time for an apprentice? Not at all. Would she give herself one if she needed to? Definitely. And Bramblenose would get onto her if she did. It wasn't his place, but she didn't need anything extra on her.

Then Rosekit spoke. Birchtail and... himself?

Birchtail was a good choice. Older, loving, patient. He wasn't strong or the best hunter, but he could show the kits what it was like to be a real warrior.

Himself. Bramblenose. Nothing. He could teach a kit to hunt and to track. But what else could he teach? He wasn't too patient. He wasn't loving. He was rough and would be hard on cats who didn't deserve it.

Rosekit probably saw him in a different light, though. He had saved the two. He probably looked like one of the best options in the clan. Although, Bramblenose could name at least five more warriors who would be better choices than himself.

"Perhaps I could ask Starlin'fur for one of y'all," he said.