Boats and birds

_{Heavy footfalls approached confidently. Sabrefur appeared. He watched her silently appear and taking in her surroundings. There was a hint of avidity in them, the very same he had felt too when he first set foot in this place. Her time would come to meet her loved ones again. Someday, but not now. Now it was his turn to fulfill his duty. To repent for the things he’d allowed to infect his heart. Repenting he was still. Every day that he was away from his daughter. His mate had filled a void he had been missing, but there was still a place in his heart that longed for his beautiful daughter. How proud he was of her. A deep sigh escaped his lips as he hauled himself out of the thicket. “Pepperpaw,” He simply called, halting before her with a glint in his eyes.}

_{He slightly dipped his head in response to her polite, albeit forced greeting. “I am the cat that welcomes you to Starclan, as a reminder to not forget where your roots lie.” He opened, his voice neither friendly nor unfriendly. Regarding her as an equal. “I tell you this not to hinder your judgement as a medicine cat, nor to complicate decisions you may need to make one day. It isn’t my duty to plant a seed of doubt and place burdens on such young shoulders,” His eyes clouded for a moment. It passed by so quick that it almost could have gone unnoticed. He remembered a certain other young apprentice, one he always watched from above. Long furred and as keen as the animal she was named after. Sabrefurs eyes hardened though and his composure remained.} 

_{Sabrefur let out an agreeing hum. “Such is that curse,” He too would have been cursed had he been older when Skyclan fell. Instead he had been raised in Windclan and had no memories nor ties that rooted him to the now barren wasteland he originated. “It is in times of war, not peace, that this will be tested. Indeed, I need not remind you about your roots. But I will remind you of this. You as a medicine cat have an advantage many of us don’t. The four clans will always be divided. This is how it’s been for centuries and how it will stay. However, know that a medicine cat can bridge the gap that separates us, all the while remembering who you belong to and who you are. A hard task, a burden, perhaps a bane? That is for you to decide. Many before you could not shoulder this responsibility. You have a tall order to fill if you want to succeed your successor,” His voice dropped lower as he spoke, head slightly bend to meet her eyes as she was much shorter than him. Positively towering over her with the stars behind him fading a bit.} 

_{Sabrefur didn’t speak for a moment. Allowing a heavy pause to fall between them. An enraged frown endorsed his face. And then the grim somberness cleared the air and the stars shone again. And for the first time in a long time he managed to crack a faint smile. She passed the test and it would seem that they had been right. Of course they had been. “Pepperpaw, Starclan has chosen this path for you. We have faith in you and you’re abilities! Don’t ever forget that we will always walk beside you. We know that you will be able to handle any adversity the world will throw at you, for we do not give you more than you can handle,” He adjusted his posture and sunk beside her in the gras, now facing the beautiful starry landscape before them. The stars shimmered in his eyes when he looked up at the sky. How bright they shone today! “While I may not be able to walk beside you, as you are more Shadowclan than you will ever be Windclan, I know that at least two or three cats that can..” He let his voice trail off, knowing they were near. He felt their presence. They would watch over her wherever she went. They had a blood bond that no heavenly plane could break.}  

_{Pepperpaw plopped down beside him, thankful for the release of tension that had surged between them since her arrival. He was glad to see her being able to relax after everything. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye when she hesitantly regarded him about the next step. As much as he would have liked to give her the wisdom she sought after, he had no earthly knowledge about anything regarding to herbs. "You're resourceful, I'm sure you will know what to do when the time comes, also you and Newtpaw will be able to pick up where the other falls. Keeping each other in perfect balance," Sabrefur paused for a moment before continuing. "That being said, don't be afraid to ask for help. You have the right to cross borders and look for guidance among the other medicine cats, if Acornstar isn't a goddamn fool for once." He growled disapprovingly. "Consult other medicine cats of today.. Perhaps even some of ages past." He ended while hinting at her divine right to consult her ancestors whenever the knowledge of others failed her.}