Work Text:
"Hey, Mothwing?"
A quiet, raspy mew came from a brown tabby who sat near by a golden tabby.
The golden cat hadn't turned her head. "Yeah?" She meowed in response.
The brown cat continued. "Do you think I'll go to Starclan?" She pulled her tail in close to herself. Looking quizzically at Mothwing, awaiting a response.
Mothwing paused in what she was doing. Holding herbs in her mouth as she stared blankly. Her head shook slightly a couple times as if trying to focus and she turned towards her friend.
"Bearrose.. You aren't dying. You're just sick." She said. "You do realize that, right?" Her voice was muffled through the leaves she held.
Bearrose sighed. "I know! I do know that, it's just-" She looked around, thinking. "What about when I do? Do you think I will go to Starclan?"
Mothwing stared at her. She placed the herbs in her mouth down in a crevice on the wall. Then turned back to the cat who was now laying down.
"You know I of all cats can't say for certain." She whispered. It felt almost like the words hung in the air for a minute, a deeper meaning behind it that not many others would know.
Bearrose gave a weak shrug. She knew of course Mothwing wouldn't be able to know that. The medicine cat had never had a connection to Starclan. But it was something wandering into the warrior's mind as of late. It was like a pesky tick she couldn't reach.
He watched as Mothwing peered back and forth to her herbs and to him. As if wondering whether to continue the poultice she were making.
"Sorry." Bearrose murmured. Laying his head on his paws. "I know you can't answer that." She sighed.
Mothwing's eyes shone in the light that flickered in through the den leaves. She glanced down at Bearrose and took a pawstep closer. "It's alright. I know what it's like to wonder that as well."
The brown warrior glanced up at her medicine cat friend. She hadn't before connected that just because Mothwing hadn't believed in Starclan didn't mean she didn't also wonder about them. He realized that she must think about it often, being so isolated from the other medicine cats who had a connection to their warrior ancestors.
Bearrose slowly lifted her head as she heard her friend speak again.
"I like to think, if Starclan is real, they'll let in those who try to be good." Mothwing answered at last. "I.. want to hope they are kind.. if they are really there."
Bearrose nodded. "I do hope so too.. I think I try my best at least. And I think you do as well."
Mothwing didn't respond, but she closed her eyes for a moment and gave a curt nod as if saying 'thank you.'
A coughing fit from her friend reminded the she-cat about her herbs. She grabbed the herbs once more and began to put them into a poultice as planned before. The brown warrior laying below watched silently until she were done.
Mothwing gently placed down the herb bundle and explained how it would help, which herbs did what. Not forgetting to say how important it was, even if it would taste awful. Knowing the older cat would complain either way, of course
