Stonefall glanced over at the empty fresh-kill pile and felt guilt gnawing at him for not thinking of sending out a patrol himself. Too much had been happening with the loners showing up, coupled with his anxiety about making sure everyone was safe while Fernstar was gone...he hadn’t even thought to send out a hunting patrol. Spidernose's kind eyes blinked softly at him and he tried to focus on that, on her comforting scent, on everything about her...not on the yawning pit of guilt that threatened to swallow all of his thoughts.
His tail lashed in a little bit of irritation at himself, ears flicking back for a moment before Fernstar called for a Clan Meeting and he turned his head, gratitude washing over him at her presence on the Highstump.
”Come,” he meowed quietly, trying to mask his shame and disappointment at himself.
”Fernstar is calling us.” He turned to trot over towards the Highstump, lingering a bit near Spidernose, sharp light blue-green eyes glancing at her before turning to face up at Fernstar, hoping that she wasn’t too disappointed in him.
Being Deputy was so much more pressure than he’d thought.
Meanwhile, Honeypaw had been about to retort at Moosepaw about how asking Stonefall didn’t make sense because the Deputy was clearly
busy, but then she heard Fernstar’s clear voice and her heart soared. She didn’t even say anything, just darted out of the Warrior’s den, her tiny body bounding forward before skittering to a stop a little bit away from Stonefall, gazing up at her foster mother and leader with affection and pride shining in her eyes.
Then she glanced back and meowed, probably too loudly,
”Moosepaw, come on! Clan Meeting! with no thought for the fact that all of the other cats in the Clan could probably hear the over-eager young apprentice.