Bristlefrost's feelings
Nov 9, 2021 16:08:03 GMT -5
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Ṣanɗypaw™, Hollyfall, and 5 more like this
Post by 𝓣𝓲𝓷𝓾𝓿𝓲𝓮𝓵 on Nov 9, 2021 16:08:03 GMT -5
I wanted to see if Bristlefrost's feelings really were as rushed as I remembered it to be, so prior to the big confession, here's a compilation of all the scenes I could find that were probably meant to be taken as hints/foreshadowing in hindsight.
Take this as you will, but I still think the build-up could've been better.
“Hi, Bristlepaw,” he meowed.
Bristlepaw took a pace forward that brought her to his side. “It’s Bristlefrost,” she told him. “I’m a warrior now.”
“Hey, that’s great!” Rootpaw was pleased for her, but even more confused. If she’s just been made a warrior, why doesn’t she look happy? “Congratulations.”
“Thanks, Rootpaw. I wanted to see you,” Bristlefrost went on, “because I need to tell you how sorry I am for the way I behaved when you brought me the vole. I was rude and ungrateful.”
Rootpaw dipped his head. “Don’t worry about it,” he mewed. “I know it was
stupid, and I shouldn’t have done it.”
“No, you didn’t do anything wrong,” Bristlefrost insisted. “You did a kind thing for me, and I treated you horribly. Please forgive me, Rootpaw.”
“Of course I do!” Rootpaw replied, happiness spurting up inside him. But the feeling quickly died as he saw how sad Bristlefrost looked. “What’s wrong?” he asked her. “You look a little down.”
Bristlefrost hesitated, staring down at her paws. “Things haven’t been going the way I hoped since I became a warrior,” she admitted eventually.
“What do you mean?” Rootpaw asked.
“Oh… This leaf-bare is hard on every cat, and I don’t feel I’ve done enough to help my Clan. Right now I’m feeling kind of useless.”
Rootpaw could understand that, but all the same he didn’t feel it was enough to explain the sorrow in Bristlefrost’s eyes. Whatever was on her mind, for now at least she was keeping it to herself.
“But you’re one of the greatest cats I’ve ever met,” Rootpaw protested, even though he knew the praise might make her squirm. I still feel the same about her, even after that stupid episode with the vole. “You saved my life when my own
Clanmates were too scared even to try. If it weren’t for you, I’d be at the bottom of the lake right now, frozen solid like the medicine cats say the Moonpool is. And you came to check on me every day while I was recovering.”
Bristlefrost shrugged; she looked a little embarrassed, but not, Rootpaw
thought, angry with him. “Any cat would have done that,” she meowed. “But what have I done since?”
“No warrior can do much while this leaf-bare lasts,” Rootpaw stated firmly.
“And once it’s over, you’ll be one of the warriors who gets your Clan back on its paws. I’m sure of it.”
Bristlefrost looked up; her eyes glowed, making Rootpaw’s heart flutter weirdly in his chest. For a moment he felt that there was more than gratitude in her gaze.
Bristlepaw took a pace forward that brought her to his side. “It’s Bristlefrost,” she told him. “I’m a warrior now.”
“Hey, that’s great!” Rootpaw was pleased for her, but even more confused. If she’s just been made a warrior, why doesn’t she look happy? “Congratulations.”
“Thanks, Rootpaw. I wanted to see you,” Bristlefrost went on, “because I need to tell you how sorry I am for the way I behaved when you brought me the vole. I was rude and ungrateful.”
Rootpaw dipped his head. “Don’t worry about it,” he mewed. “I know it was
stupid, and I shouldn’t have done it.”
“No, you didn’t do anything wrong,” Bristlefrost insisted. “You did a kind thing for me, and I treated you horribly. Please forgive me, Rootpaw.”
“Of course I do!” Rootpaw replied, happiness spurting up inside him. But the feeling quickly died as he saw how sad Bristlefrost looked. “What’s wrong?” he asked her. “You look a little down.”
Bristlefrost hesitated, staring down at her paws. “Things haven’t been going the way I hoped since I became a warrior,” she admitted eventually.
“What do you mean?” Rootpaw asked.
“Oh… This leaf-bare is hard on every cat, and I don’t feel I’ve done enough to help my Clan. Right now I’m feeling kind of useless.”
Rootpaw could understand that, but all the same he didn’t feel it was enough to explain the sorrow in Bristlefrost’s eyes. Whatever was on her mind, for now at least she was keeping it to herself.
“But you’re one of the greatest cats I’ve ever met,” Rootpaw protested, even though he knew the praise might make her squirm. I still feel the same about her, even after that stupid episode with the vole. “You saved my life when my own
Clanmates were too scared even to try. If it weren’t for you, I’d be at the bottom of the lake right now, frozen solid like the medicine cats say the Moonpool is. And you came to check on me every day while I was recovering.”
Bristlefrost shrugged; she looked a little embarrassed, but not, Rootpaw
thought, angry with him. “Any cat would have done that,” she meowed. “But what have I done since?”
“No warrior can do much while this leaf-bare lasts,” Rootpaw stated firmly.
“And once it’s over, you’ll be one of the warriors who gets your Clan back on its paws. I’m sure of it.”
Bristlefrost looked up; her eyes glowed, making Rootpaw’s heart flutter weirdly in his chest. For a moment he felt that there was more than gratitude in her gaze.
“All ThunderClan warriors,” Squirrelflight called in a tight voice, “we need you to help break the ice. As your acting leader, I command you to help!”
Rootpaw could hear the grumbles of Spotfur and Stemleaf. His own paws
trembled with indecision. Does Tree have a point? Is this right?
But then he saw Bristlefrost stroll past him, following Violetshine. She
glanced at Rootpaw and winked.
Without another thought, he fell into step behind the ThunderClan warrior.
I’m in.
Rootpaw could hear the grumbles of Spotfur and Stemleaf. His own paws
trembled with indecision. Does Tree have a point? Is this right?
But then he saw Bristlefrost stroll past him, following Violetshine. She
glanced at Rootpaw and winked.
Without another thought, he fell into step behind the ThunderClan warrior.
I’m in.
Bristlefrost followed Molewhisker and Finleap as her Clanmates escorted Rootpaw toward camp. Her pelt rippled uneasily along her spine. She didn’t want to walk too close to the SkyClan apprentice in case they thought she’d had something to do with his sudden appearance on ThunderClan territory. Why in StarClan had he come? It had been uncomfortable enough last time, when Leafstar had allowed him to bring her prey as thanks for saving him from the lake. Bristlefrost had hoped that would be the last time he’d do anything so mouse-brained, but clearly his crush on her was worse than she’d thought. Her ears twitched self-consciously. She liked him, he was nice enough, but they were from different Clans. And he was only an apprentice. She could never have any special feelings for him.
Bristlefrost stared at him. “So you didn’t come here to see me?”
“No,” he mewed, his gaze still distracted.
Bristlefrost tried to ignore the disappointment tugging in her belly. I don’t care, she told herself. I’m glad. And yet it had been reassuring after Stemleaf’s rejection to think that some cat liked her, even if it was a hare-brained apprentice from another Clan.
[...]
Bristlefrost’s paws pricked crossly. The day had been going so well. She’d caught a rabbit on her first patrol and marked the whole WindClan border. She knew Bramblestar must be impressed by what a good warrior she was becoming. And now Rootpaw had to spoil it, humiliating her in front of her Clanmates and telling her a nursery story as though she were a kit who’d believe anything. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because this is too important for me to leave without telling some cat,”
Rootpaw mewed. “I trust you more than any cat in ThunderClan, and I
thought we were friends.”
Bristlefrost looked away guiltily, then hesitated. What did she have to
feel guilty about? “I’m a ThunderClan warrior,” she snapped. “My first
loyalty is to my Clan and my leader. Why should I believe a SkyClan
apprentice’s lies?”
[...]
Bristlefrost watched Dewspring and Plumwillow escort Rootpaw from the camp. The young yellow tom padded between them, tail down and shoulders drooping. Bramblestar had used the opportunity to give the SkyClan warriors a lecture on how to discipline their apprentices, and she could tell they were furious at being humiliated by the ThunderClan leader.
She felt a twinge of pity for Rootpaw. He was going to be in serious trouble when he got back to camp.
She tried not to think about the punishment Rootpaw might face, just as she tried not to think about the dumb story he’d told her. Why couldn’t he have been honest about why he’d come to ThunderClan territory? Had he come to see her after all and simply been too embarrassed to admit it to her face? She padded to the fresh-kill pile. It had been a long day, and she.wasn’t going to think about Rootpaw anymore. She’d eat a mouse and go to her nest early so she’d be up in time to organize the dawn patrols.
“No,” he mewed, his gaze still distracted.
Bristlefrost tried to ignore the disappointment tugging in her belly. I don’t care, she told herself. I’m glad. And yet it had been reassuring after Stemleaf’s rejection to think that some cat liked her, even if it was a hare-brained apprentice from another Clan.
[...]
Bristlefrost’s paws pricked crossly. The day had been going so well. She’d caught a rabbit on her first patrol and marked the whole WindClan border. She knew Bramblestar must be impressed by what a good warrior she was becoming. And now Rootpaw had to spoil it, humiliating her in front of her Clanmates and telling her a nursery story as though she were a kit who’d believe anything. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because this is too important for me to leave without telling some cat,”
Rootpaw mewed. “I trust you more than any cat in ThunderClan, and I
thought we were friends.”
Bristlefrost looked away guiltily, then hesitated. What did she have to
feel guilty about? “I’m a ThunderClan warrior,” she snapped. “My first
loyalty is to my Clan and my leader. Why should I believe a SkyClan
apprentice’s lies?”
[...]
Bristlefrost watched Dewspring and Plumwillow escort Rootpaw from the camp. The young yellow tom padded between them, tail down and shoulders drooping. Bramblestar had used the opportunity to give the SkyClan warriors a lecture on how to discipline their apprentices, and she could tell they were furious at being humiliated by the ThunderClan leader.
She felt a twinge of pity for Rootpaw. He was going to be in serious trouble when he got back to camp.
She tried not to think about the punishment Rootpaw might face, just as she tried not to think about the dumb story he’d told her. Why couldn’t he have been honest about why he’d come to ThunderClan territory? Had he come to see her after all and simply been too embarrassed to admit it to her face? She padded to the fresh-kill pile. It had been a long day, and she.wasn’t going to think about Rootpaw anymore. She’d eat a mouse and go to her nest early so she’d be up in time to organize the dawn patrols.
“I hope he does it soon,” Bristlefrost told him. “It’s awful back at camp. Every cat’s scared and there are so many rules and punishments.” She stared at him desperately. “We have to do something.”
“We will.” Rootpaw touched his muzzle to her cheek.
She pressed against it for a moment, relieved to have a friend she could
trust. “I’m going to talk to Squirrelflight,” she told him. “She needs to know what’s happening in ThunderClan. But I won’t tell Bramblestar where she is.”
“We will.” Rootpaw touched his muzzle to her cheek.
She pressed against it for a moment, relieved to have a friend she could
trust. “I’m going to talk to Squirrelflight,” she told him. “She needs to know what’s happening in ThunderClan. But I won’t tell Bramblestar where she is.”
Take this as you will, but I still think the build-up could've been better.