by Hopeflower » Wed Mar 24, 2010 12:49 am
Lightstorm padded at Robinflight's shoulder, pausing every so often to renew the scent markers. "You know," the long-haired white tom meowed thoughtfully, "to this day I'm curious." Robinflight gave his Clanmate a look tinged with wariness. "...Yeah?" he mewed. "About what?"
"Well..." Lightstorm ducked under a fern as he thought of how to word his question without offending the deputy. Robinflight moved around it. "...is it difficult, being so young and serving as one of the Clan's deputies?" Robinflight added a scent marker of his own to the border as he tried to come up with an honest answer.
"At times," he mewed slowly, "it's like I've got a mountain's weight of expectations on my shoulders. There will always be cats who say I'm too young - that I wasn't the best choice. That Shadowsoul was wrong to give such a responsibility to me." He paused, stepping over a bramble's thorny tendril. "But I'm told I do a good job, and I always try my hardest. And in the end, I suppose that's all I can do. Just do my best and hope my best is good enough to prove that I can do this." Robinflight stopped talking, embarrassment flooding through him. He hadn't meant to say that much...but Lightstorm's amber eyes were understanding and sympathetic.
"I see," the white warrior meowed. He was quiet for a moment, setting the next marker. "You know, Robinflight...you can always come to the senior warriors if you need advice." The gray tabby looked down. "I know," he mewed. "And I appreciate that they're so willing to help." He lifted his head, meeting the older cat's eyes. "It's good to know some cats have got my back."
Lightstorm gave him a friendly nudge. "You kidding? You've probably got most of the Clan behind you. If not because you're deputy, then because you do such a good job of being deputy. And if any cats says otherwise...well, they've got Shadowsoul's reasoning to stand up to, don't they? He's the one who named you his deputy - so I suppose if they question your position, they question him. I doubt many cats would be able to look our leader in the eye and state their reasons without stuttering or looking away." He cocked his head thoughtfully. "In a way...I suppose he's like Shadowstar. One of ThunderClan's former leaders," he explained, seeing the question in Robinflight's eyes. "She was respected by quite a few cats. One of our better examples of leadership."
"Yeah...I guess you're right," Robinflight meowed. "I can't see myself as being like him...if I become a leader." Lightstorm frowned at him. "Why's that?" he asked. "You're already a deputy to be proud of. Who says you can't do things the way you do them now when you're leader?" Robinflight swallowed.
"That's just it - I don't know if the way I do things is the right way. Shadowsoul told me I do a good job, but what do other cats think?" The young deputy searched Lightstorm's gaze almost desperately. "Well, I can't tell you what our Clanmates think," Lightstorm mewed. "I'm not a mind reader," he added with a chuckle. "But...I can tell you what I think. And I think you do just fine. You're bound to make mistakes - no cat is perfect. But when - not if - you do, I'm sure no cat will look down on you for it. You can bet every deputy in Clan history has made mistakes. You'll be no different from the rest."
"Gotta have a little sadness once in a while so you know when the good times come."
"Talent is a pursued interest. In other words, anything that you're willing to practice, you can do." ~ Bob Ross
"The future is always uncertain and painful but it must be lived." ~ Unknown