The old wizened elder has always insisted upon one important virtue. Smile in the face of pessimism. His advice has been bestowed upon every apprentice and young warrior in the clan; sometimes, even the rare senior warrior will recall his wise words. Unfortunately, most cats ceased to remember his warnings. They were too preoccupied with materialist things to notice the wisdom that radiated from his every mew. His words were like dust, destined to enter one ear and out the other.
To her, however, she saw him differently. Especially after the thistle's demise, she remembered every word that the elder had told her. Smile. Smile. Smile. She must smile. There was no need to think these overwhelming thoughts. If only she could just smile.
