Written in the Stars

At Sunnypaw's stiff movements and the slight flash of panic upon his face, concern swarmed Ospreysnow, mingling with uncertainty. She frowned. Yet even so, as the young tom went on with his question, she set her doubts aside. Instead, she drew back her smile, trying to keep her eyes bright and encouraging.

"Not quite," she admitted, though she kept her tone soft. "Fish are a lot trickier - you've got to hook them out of the water, and they're quite slippery." Even as she spoke, Ospreysnow could not keep that niggling worry from growing.

After a few more heartbeats of silence, the warrior cracked. Glancing back again at her shadowing apprentice, her pale gaze was warm yet concerned as she watched him.

"Sunnypaw...are you alright?" Slowing her stride, she aimed to match the younger tom's pace, tail gesturing him to walk beside her. "You seem a little...unsettled. You know if you have any concerns you can talk to me, right? I promise I won't think any less of you."

ladyspectral
Notes: Edited in template lol

Despite the bright eyes and cheerful tone, Ospreysnow was not convinced. She noticed that hesitation, and the worry she felt wormed only deeper. Unsettled herself now, Ospreysnow's frown remained. For a moment she felt the urge to stroke her tail along his spine, a gesture of comfort she had always defaulted to with her kits. But she stopped herself, uncertain how Sunnypaw might react.

Instead, she gave a soft nod, though the concern shone clearly in her eyes. "Alright," she offered softly, gaze returning to the path ahead as her ears swiveled for any signs of danger. "But remember a warrior relies just as much on their clanmates emotionally as they do physically - we're here for each other."

With the last-ditch effort to get her apprentice to open up, Ospreysnow fell silent again. There was only so much she could do. He would have to make his own choices.

As she looked aside at Sunnypaw again, Ospreysnow was met with yet another cheerful expression, so opposing to the question that surely only came from doubt and anxiety. Did he truly believe that? Quietly, she hoped that the question came from his own mind - while she dreaded the thought her young apprentice was telling himself such things, the last thing she wanted was for other apprentices to be putting such ideas in his head. Sunnypaw deserved so much more than that.

"Of course they like you," she assured, eyes reflecting a firm certainty in her words, mingled still with that ever present concern. "Some warriors aren't the best at showing it, but we are all family. We care about each other..."

Trailing off, Ospreysnow peered briefly down at her paws, considering. "Sunnypaw..." she began again, gaze drifting once more to her apprentice. "Are the other apprentices telling you such things?" They were nearing a stream now - she could hear it. But at that moment, Ospreysnow did not care. The fish could wait.

ladyspectral
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