Rabbit and Stone

Rabbitheart | Hawthorn Perm-Queen

Rabbitheart's silhouette was a familiar sight among the overhang of the Hawthorn nursery. With Molenettle's kits out of the nursery and Tinyberry's close behind them, there wasn't a whole lot to do. So she lay there, head in her paws, watching the warriors of the Clan rush to and fro. Her mind drifted with them, imagining romps throughout the meadows of Hawthorn; of chasing rabbits and celebrating the abundance of spring; of exploring the edges of the territory and beyond, meeting cats who were so new, so strange. Cats that were nothing like the cats of Hawthorn. What would they tell her? What would she find? 

She let out a wistful sigh, curling her luxuriously fluffy tail into her side. There she went again, daydreaming about the impossible. She should be grateful. Looking after the kits of the Clan was a big honor, right? She shouldn't be wasting her time on silly dreams. That's what her mother would tell her, at least. Rabbitheart lay there a moment more before reluctantly getting to her paws- maybe she could something to do around the nursery...

--

Stonesnow | Hawthorn Crafter

Stonesnow looked up and caught sight of one of his Clanmates. He knew about Rabbitheart, but they’d never spoken. He often caught her looking sad, or lonely in the nursery. She was out today. 

He knew she probably didn’t have much to do; the kits in the Clan were getting older. They didn’t need to be fussed over by the queens so much at their age. Maybe he could try to make friends with her? He garnered up his crafting materials in his mouth and padded over, lifting his tail in greeting before dropping them beside her. 

”Hello,” he said cheerfully. ”My name is Stonesnow. You’re Rabbitheart, right? Mind if I sit with you while I work?”

--

Rabbitheart | Hawthorn Perm-Queen

At first, Rabbitheart didn't pay him any mind. He must be so busy, after all- no way he was coming over to her. Except he kept walking. And his features were getting clearer, closer- ohstarclanhereallywascomingthisway. Rabbitheart froze, trying her best not to look like a deer in headlights. 

"O-oh, hello!" she said, cursing her voice for sounding like her namesake. 

"Yeah, um, sure." She scooted over a bit to give Stonesnow space. The crafters must be so busy with all the extra trinkets the scouts brought in for the celebration. She couldn't help but nosily glance over at what Stonesnow had placed on the ground, despite herself. "What are you making?"

--

Stonesnow | Hawthorn Crafter

Stonesnow settled himself beside Rabbitheart, smiling at her as he began carefully sorting through all the interesting trinkets the scouts had brought the Clan. 

“Well, that’s kind of the fun part,” he said cheerfully. “Since the scouts have been bringing back so many interesting things, the crafters have decided to make everyone gifts to celebrate the Great Rabbit Run. I’m having lots of fun making everyone something nice. What would you like?” he smiled at Rabbitheart, nosing some of his materials so she could look at everything he had. “Does anything here catch your eye?”

--

Rabbitheart | Hawthorn Perm-Queen

So many things were laid out before them- Rabbitheart couldn't believe Stonesnow had carried it all in one trip. N-not that he looked weak or anything! It was just a lot of stuff. She tried not to look flustered as she perused it all, eyes wide with curiosity, although that quickly faltered when Stonesnow implied he would make something for her. She, of course, knew the crafters were hard at work with the task, but she didn't think he'd come by and just whip something up for her! 

"O-oh, you don't have to do that!" she practically squeaked, face flushing with embarrassment. She couldn't even look at him. Get it together, Rabbitheart!

"I mean, that's very kind of you, and you sure have some lovely things to work with, but..." Honestly, she couldn't come up with a reason why he shouldn't give her something if everyone else was, too. She just wasn't used to cats showing her much attention, let alone making something for her. It was just a bit overwhelming for her, just for a moment. 

She wanted to scream. She wanted to be so sure of herself, to be adventurous, and brave, and smart, and all of the things she swore she was not. Why couldn't she just look at him? Why couldn't she just say thank you and pick something for herself, instead of always taking the scraps?

 She hated that something caught her eye, too. She didn't even know what it was- but it was sparkly, and blue like the sky, and even as she frustrated herself to no end she found herself looking at it.

--

Stonesnow | Hawthorn Crafter

Stonesnow smiled at her, like he understood. He could tell when a cat was struggling to be a little selfish and ask for what they wanted. Not a problem! He focused on what she was looking at, and saw it was one of the sparkly blue trinkets a scout brought home. He smiled at her as he gently pawed the trinket closer to himself. 

“Well, this one looks pretty,” he said casually. “Maybe I could make you a little something with this? I bet it would looks really pretty against your fur!”

--

Rabbitheart | Hawthorn Perm-Queen

Stonesnow didn't even skip a beat. Rabbitheart felt her heart skip a beat when his paws moved right to the stone that had so dearly caught her attention. How did he know!? she thought, as if she hadn't been making it painfully obvious in the first place. 

It was okay. She could do this. She could hold a normal conversation, dang it!  She flushed again, this time from the compliment as she shuffled her paws bashfully. 

"You really think so?" she asked, a smile peaking through her flustered countenance. With it, she finally summoned enough courage to look at him. His eyes looked so kind- he really did seem like he was just trying to be nice. She found herself getting just a touch braver. "If you're sure it's not too much trouble.... can I watch you make something with it?"

--

Stonesnow | Hawthorn Crafter

Stonesnow smiled at her encouragingly. “Sure! I think blue is a great color. It will look beautiful against your fur! And this shade in particular really brings out your eyes.” He held the stone up so she could see it better and smiled kindly at her, delighted to see that she seemed a bit more at ease when she looked up at him again. He began pawing through his other materials as she spoke, grinning. 

”Sure you can! I’d love to talk to you while I work. Usually I chat with the other crafters, or whoever’s den I’m mending, so it would be nice to make a new friend. Anything in particular you’d like me to make this into for you?”

--

Rabbitheart | Hawthorn Perm-Queen

Bring out her eyes? If Rabbitheart could turn scarlet, she would have- so instead she settled for placing a small, delicate paw on her cheek and smiling bashfully. She never knew how to accept a compliment, let alone such a sweet one. Everything Stonesnow said seemed to come to him so easily. She couldn't help but marvel at that, despite the tiniest speck of envy, too.  But then he mentioned friends and oh, her fragile little heart skipped a beat; could've soared like a fledgeling bird, even, if it knew how. 

"Friends!" she said dreamily. Most cats didn't even give her a second glance, let alone want to spend time with her. The fact that he was even considering being her friend was enough to lift her spirits for a good week. It wouldn't last long, of course (these things never did, Rabbitheart found), but she would take every moment she could. "Oh, I'd like that very much!" 

She had seen some cats wear these types of things around their neck, but her neck fluff was so poofy- it would get lost in moments. She preened her tail with her paws thoughtfully, wondering what she could possibly have it be. She wanted to be able to look at it, of course, without it getting lost.... she looked down, and a sunshine moment hit her. 

"Maybe my tail?" she said out loud, before realizing that didn't quite answer the question. "I mean, like a necklace for my tail! If... if that's alright."

--

Stonesnow | Hawthorn Crafter

Stonesnow chuckled and gave her a little nod. “Sure! A tail accessory sounds like a great idea! It will look great on you!” He encouraged, pawing through his materials for something nice and sturdy for a band. He wanted something that wouldn’t easily snap, and also something that would be safe for an unsuspecting rascal of a kit to chew on if they tried for some reason. He smiled at Rabbitheart as he got to work on the new accessory. 

“You’re a permanent queen, right? That has to be a tough job! I really admire you for putting all your energy into looking after kittens all the time! I think by the time a litter was finally six moons old I’d be exhausted and want to sleep for a moon or two before I could take care of the next one.”

 He purred as he glanced over at some of the newer apprentices. He definitely wanted a family of his own someday, but he knew he didn’t have enough energy to keep up with Clan kits all the time. It was one of the reasons he became a crafter over a queen himself.

--

Rabbitheart | Hawthorn Perm-Queen

If she was be honest, she had been half expecting him to shoot down her idea (as they so often were by her mother), so when he not only accepted it, but encouraged it, she practically glowed. He pawed through his materials with expert ease, and as he began to work, she settled down to watch with kit-like wonder. 

She smiled at the praise, but shook her head. "It's a lot easier when you have such great parents to work with; Tinyberry's been wonderful with their kits, and Tuftstar has been visiting them often and teaching them so much! And Molenettle, she-" she stopped dead in her tracks at that, a pang of sadness hitting her. Molenettle's death was still fresh in Hawthorn; she shuffled her feet and changed the subject rather abruptly. 

"Oh, I'd imagine a crafter's job is much harder! So many tools to learn, and trying to know what everyone would like.... I'm not creative like that." she admitted sheepishly.

--

Stonesnow | Hawthorn Crafter

Stonesnow smiled at Rabbitheart as he selected a very pretty, sparkly band- it looked like it had been made from small, sparkly stones somehow strung together. 

He paused when Rabbitheart brought up Molenettle, looking worried. He glanced over at her two kits who had stayed in the Clan- Dewpaw and Sproutpaw. They seemed to be eating something Dewpaw brought back from hunting with Swallowmelody. He gave her a small nudge with his nose, trying to take her mind off the death of their Clanmate. 

“Being a crafter can be hard sometimes,” he admitted. “But on the whole, I think it’s a good job. I like making things that make my Clanmates happy, being able to keep everyone warm and dry... but as long as you have some extra paws to help with bigger jobs, I think it’s a great way to help the Clan. I’m a lucky cat to be able to be creative and helpful at the same time!”

--

Rabbitheart | Hawthorn Perm-Queen

Rabbitheart, unaware that she was even doing it, popped her mouth into a little 'o' to 'oooh'and 'aaaah' at the band in the light. It looked beautiful, and matched the stone perfectly. He had picked it out so quickly, she couldn't help but marvel at the eye for complimenting pieces. 

The nudge was all she needed not to let her mind stray to darker, gloomier thoughts. She was all too happy to listen to Stonesnow gush about his job instead. 

"Very lucky! The crafter position sounds like it was made for you," she said wistfully, wishing that it was so easy for everyone. "And it must be so nice to be able to go out and collect things around the territory, and talk to the scouts about where they found their latest things..... you must have so much freedom."

--

Stonesnow | Hawthorn Crafter

“I do,” Stonesnow agreed. “I’m very lucky to have such excellent scouts keeping an eye out, and to be able to go looking for new materials myself if I need a break from sitting in camp all day.”

He looked over at Rabbitheart, her wistful expression surprising him a bit. Permanent queens were allowed to leave camp and stretch their legs if they wanted, as long as they didn’t have other duties they needed to worry about. 

“Maybe you’d like to come with me to gather bedding for the nursery next time I go?” Stonesnow offered, giving her a small smile. “It might be fun to take a walk, so long as we don’t get too close to MossClan’s border.”

--

Rabbitheart | Hawthorn Perm-Queen

Regrettably, it wasn't Rabbitheart's position so much as her secret and her mother; anytime Rabbitheart felt brave enough to leave the confines of Hawthorn's camp, Softwillow was there, fussing over her daughter and insisting she get any materials she might need for her. It was..... fine, she supposed. She should be grateful to have a mother who cared about her so much, even if she did wish she could stretch her legs a bit more. 

It was why she hesitated at Stonesnow's invitation. It sounded so lovely, but.... what if trouble came along, especially with MossClan being... well, MossClan right now? She looked over at him, readying her defense, but as soon as she saw his kind and patient smile, it all fell to ribbons. She didn't have the heart to say no; the closest she got was this: 

"Oh, I would love to, but.... do you really think that'll be alright?" she asked, smoothing out the already pristine fur on her tail with her paws. "I hear the talk from the guards when they pass by the nursery. They're saying MossClan is getting more aggressive with their scent marking."

--

Stonesnow | Hawthorn Crafter

Stonesnow nodded to her, his expression thoughtful. “As long as we avoid MossClan’s territory, I think so,” he assured her. “We could walk along the Edge of the World, or maybe near the Gathering Place. There’s no need to get too close to MossClan. We don’t even have to stray very far from camp at all.” 

He paused to use his teeth to tighten the pretty string while he held the gift in his paws, then looked over at Rabbitheart with a small smile. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable or anything, so maybe you can choose the route for our walk? We’ll avoid MossClan but otherwise you can decide where we go.”

--

Rabbitheart | Hawthorn Perm-Queen

The explanation was sound. The idea itself seemed terrific. Yet there was still this frantic thing of anxiety in her gut, biting like a feral animal. She took a deep breath- no, she was fine, she could do this! What was the harm in a little stroll around camp? Besides, if she was quick enough, perhaps her mother wouldn't even have to know. It was fine. She was fine. 

She was so tired of being cooped up in the nursery. 

Despite a moment of hesitation, the nod she gave him was firm. "Okay. Yeah. Yeah! I'd like that. It would be nice to stretch my legs a little." she meowed, trying to sound more confident than she felt. "I could look for things for the kits to play with while we're out, too. It's getting harder to keep them entertained with all this talk of apprenticeship soon. Soon I might not have anyone to look after at all!"

--

Stonesnow | Hawthorn Crafter

Stonesnow nodded, a purr in his throat. “I bet! It makes sense, I remember I was just itching for my apprentice ceremony. We better find something interesting to hopefully keep them distracted until the ceremony.” 

He smiled fondly at her. “Well, I can’t wait. It’s going to be a lot of fun, I can already tell!” 

He knew he was going to like being friends with Rabbitheart. She was so kind, and sweet, and pretty… 

He blinked to himself, trying to focus on the accessory he was making her.

--

Rabbitheart | Hawthorn Perm-Queen

Rabbitheart didn't even hum in agreement; the days leading up to her apprentice ceremony were filled with apprehension and worry. "Yes, let's hope we find something good for them." 

Though something in her heart said it would take a lot more than a little gift to break through to Molenettle's kits now. The voice of Tinyberry broke her concentration, however, and she stumbled to her delicate little paws. 

"Coming, Tiny!" she called out, before turning her attention to the kind tom still hard at work. "I'm so sorry, Stonesnow, I should check on her- are you alright here?"

--

Stonesnow | Hawthorn Crafter

Stonesnow looked up, smiling in a friendly way at her. “Of course, you should help her with whatever she needs. I’ll be fine, your little gift will be done soon. I hope you enjoy the rest of the Great Rabbit Run, Rabbitheart!”