A Family Friend [Closed]

The sun was just breaking over the horizon as Flintstar padded along the border, his head held high as he patrolled. With the new found freedom from The Righteous Few's grasp, the leader had taken to patrolling the border whenever the opportunity arose just to make sure there was no traces of the twisted star-pelted cats that remained. And perhaps there was a little hope to see Dappleshine whenever he walked the WindClan's border...But when it came to SkyClan's territory, he was just being on guard. In truth, he held no ill-will toward Spottedstar and his choice to leave the Gathering - protecting most of his Clan minus the pawful that had stayed and fight. But there was no telling how SkyClan expected the other Clans to see them and would expect hostilities. It was hard to guess, he was never...Good at judging things like that but it was better to expect the worse and be...Pleasantly surprised than think that only good things would happen and be crushed when the world showed just how cruel it truly was.

He shook his head as he came to a stop, perhaps wishing a little to late that he had invited Freckleface along but he had chosen to let her sleep. He knew it would be a while before he found the...Energy, or lack thereof, to sleep so it was best to get his energy out in any way he could. Hunting was good, but it was never his strong suit. Patrolling was easy, and as leader it was important to know what was happening with the other Clans. For the most part, he didn't care what happened to them. Their business was their alone but it was hard to know when it would become his problem and if that were to happen...Well, it would be best not to be unprepared and know what was transpiring in all corners of the forest. His thoughts slowly started to trail off thought as his ears perked, catching the sound of movement nearby. It seems he wouldn't be alone for long...

One might have thought that a tom who had once been a daft and inexperienced clan cat would have perhaps learned a lesson about straying too close to the border. This particular warrior still bore signs of his previous encounter at the Shadowclan border. A crooked tail flicked against the leaves as the young tom stalked his prey along a rather sturdy branch. Another cat might have lacked the energy that already surged through his paws at such an early hour. But, indeed, his warrior name did have an origin and truth to it. Wrenspring was concentrated in pursuit until he saw a flicker of fur across the thunderpath. The motion of the shifting shadows was just enough to catch his eye. And it only took that single pause for his target to flutter away in a flurry of wings. It was forgotten quickly as he made out the shape of a cat.

Refracted rays of sunlight helped him to piece together the appearances. His eyes widened as he peered through the broad leaves of the tree he was perched in. It shook violently underneath him as he surged forward with recognition and the warrior stopped just in time to keep his footing, "Flintstar! Flintstar! You are Flintstar, right?" At first the tom couldn't be seen, due to this place behind the blanket of greenery. Realizing this, Wrenspring popped his gray and white head through the barrier and stared down at his target with dazzling eyes. It occurred to him for a moment that he should have been guarded after scuffling with Shadowclan in the past. Yet, he'd waited so long to come face to face with the other clan's leader that his mom supposedly held dear, even if she never spoke. There was a brief pause before he shouted once again, "You know my mother! Basildrop! Her name is Basildrop! I'm her kit!"

Flintstar stood ridged, scanning the undergrowth for the movement he had heard...Until he realized that it had been off. It hadn't come from the ground, it had come from th- A sudden shouting of his name caused the leader to jolt, ears turning to try to block out the sound as he glanced up at the branches on the SkyClan side of the border. Of course, he had nearly forgotten that SkyClan were brave enough - or perhaps stupid enough - to climb in trees. He didn't recognize the voice that was calling out to him, eyes narrowing until a gray and white head suddenly appeared from the canopy. He titled his head as the tom continued...Before he straighten up as the tom mentioned Basildrop.

"...Truly?" he said after a few heartbeats, a little bit of...Relief flooding through him. It had been moons since he had heard anything from Basildrop, she had stopped going to Gatherings out of the blue - of course his position as deputy and now leader would have made their conversations nearly impossible to carry on anyways but...The only comfort he had was that Spottedstar had never made a mention of Basildrop and that no news was good news. "Yes, I do know your mother. How...How is she faring? It has been so long since I have heard anything from her," he questioned, his voice taking a bit of a soft edge to it. He...Hadn't tired to think about how much he missed her but she had been his first friend. One of the few people who treated him...Normal. She didn't mind when he had nothing to say, she had just decided they were friends so quickly and that was that. It was nice that Freckleface seemed to treat him the same way but...Basildrop had still been...Nice to meet even with the tension between their Clans.

It was as if the fact Basildrop had known the Shadowclan leader was always some great myth. As the massive tom breathed confirmation, that legend became true. Awe sparkled in the depth of Wrenspring's gaze. He almost immediately responded without a thought then it finally occurred to him that perhaps yowling from up among the leaves wasn't the best way to address a Starclan-ordained leader. The Skyclan warrior picked his way down tree and hesitantly approached the Thunderpath. His crooked tail flickered anxiously and he pushed away the reminder of his last encounter here. When Flintstar asked about his mother, it dawned on him that they'd hardly spoken lately. Perhaps he should visit the nursery sometime. He'd hardly known her as anything other than a mother, missing the drive she possessed in warriorhood, and it only seemed natural she was a queen.

"She's... well. Basildrop is a queen now. She didn't have many kits but likes to help out in the nursery." Wrenspring offered up the information freely, hesitating only because of his own lack of recent interaction with the she-cat, "I'm not sure why she stopped going to gatherings, though, she won't say. Even my first one as an apprentice she declined. Although, it wasn't really the best gathering to attend anyways." He let out a weak bought of laughter as he remembered when Starclan had challenged the forest, abandoning the skies above to rain down justice on cats who broke the code. Some of his own clanmates had stayed, a feat that still plagued him. The warrior found himself wondering what Flintstar thought of Skyclan leaving the gathering, but decided it was best not to ask questions he likely wouldn't want an answer to.

Flintstar watched as the tom slowly clambered out of a tree, coming to a stop on the other side of the Thunderpath. He studied him as he explained that Basildrop was doing well - having simply chosen to become a queen. He...Suppose he didn't understand why she would have stopped coming to Gatherings either but he barely understand what drove others to do just about anything when it came to emotions. "I see...Well, it is...Nice to hear that she is doing well," he admitted, realizing that there was the faintest sense of...Relief at the notion that Basildrop was alive and well. Part of him had always worried it was something he had unknowingly done - he wasn't sure but... As long as she was happy, he suppose that was what mattered.

"...You obviously know who I am," he said after a few heartbeats, tilting his head as he stared at the tom. "But I have not actually gotten your name yet."

Perhaps if he had ever spoken to his mother on the matter of the Shadowclan leader, than Wrenspring might understand the monotone speech of the other tom. It was strange but he hardly dwelled on it. The Skyclan warrior tilted his head softly for a moment as he listened. At the sentiment he nodded and offered up a smile. Between the pleasant conversation and warm morning breeze that tousled his fur, for a moment, everything seemed okay. He forgot the recent troubles that had transpired between him and his closest companion. Flintstar was little more than a companion, almost ceasing to be an enemy cat. With the Thunderpath between them, a reminding divide, the tom found himself for them to no longer be bound by the borders; a friend would be more reassuring than a natural born enemy.

Wrenspring blinked. It was then he understood the question that had drifted across the black stone and he shook his head at it, jumping to respond, "Oh! I'm sorry. My name is Wrenpa- Wrenspring. I just got my warrior name not long ago."  At this, he could feel their conversation nearly drawing to a close. To have time to dwell and chat would pull them away from their respective clans, bound by separate vows and duties. However, before the gray and white time could pull back a question leaped to the forefront of his mind. He hardly hesitated in quizzically pressing the Shadowclan leader, "You've known Basildrop a while, right? What was she like when she was younger?"

Did she struggle like I did? Was she torn between loyalties of friendship and clan? Pondering over the challenges she may have faced in her youth was something he hardly did. But it was curious to know she hadn't always bound herself to camp. How strange a thing to consider his mother as anything other than the she-cat who had bore him. She was a friend to this tom, a warrior whose friendship and heart had strayed away from camp. Clearly Basildrop was devoted to her clan above all else. Befriending other clan's warriors was not illegal unless it tugged one away from their kin. Cocking his head to the side once more, Wrenspring waited eagerly for an answer. Lion's Eye had given him a lot to think about at the moonstone but he had also left the new warrior with the notion these questions and answers would have to be sought time and time again throughout life. Maybe there was something he could learn from the curious friend of the queen.

Wrenspring...Fitting name, he supposed. He dipped his head to the tom, before his ears perked at the SkyClan warrior's question. What was Basildrop like? He slipped into a sitting position, claws tearing at the ground beneath him as he thought on it. He wasn't the best at describing things but her personality was as bright in his mind as it had been at the Gathering. "Yes, I would say I've known her for a while. She was an apprentice when we first met and I had just become a warrior." He paused, thinking back on their first meeting. At first, he wanted to say it was at a Gathering but...No, that was when he had first been given the chance to speak with her but he had seen her once before when Thornstar had led him and a pawful of others into the SkyClan camp.

"...I'm certain you know of the tension between our Clans - I met your mother the night it truly started, the night Spottedstar became leader. She was...Brave. Perhaps a little foolish, she was eager to see the good in things. Managed to get Thornstar to stand down by simply being herself. But...She did not care for the tension between our Clans. At the next Gathering, she was as friendly with me as she would have been with anybody and I...Respect that. She did not care for my shortcomings, she was happy to speak enough for when words would fail me. She called me a friend when I was certain that I would end up having none. To answer your question, Basildrop was my best friend. She was kind and easy-going...Although we last saw each other shortly after the tensions of our Clans had grown...Perhaps too much for her, I am not sure. The last time I had spoken to her was after her mother had died in the war between our Clans. I do not know if that had anything to do with her choice, that would fall upon her to answer but...I do not blame her if so. I held only disdain for who had killed Thornstar after all." He felt silent for a few heartbeats, a soft sigh escaping him. "...We were friends for a short time but she has remained...Close in my heart. My first friend. I am simply happy to hear that she is alright - the last I had heard about her was when she had gotten her warrior name."

To hear of Basildrop in her youth was a tale that sounded otherworldly, fodder for a kit's dream. She had never lost the kindness that undoubtedly had forged her friendship with Flintstar but now she did little more than busy herself watching kits and fold into the nursery. The spirit he spoke of seemed to have been abandoned moons ago. That thought caused a flickering frown. However, Wrenspring pushed it away, considering the fact it was an honor to even hold such a casual conversation with the other clan's leader at all. It was interesting, to say the least, to hear of who she had been and that only furthered the love and admiration he he held for the she-cat who had bore him. Wrenspring dipped his head ever so slightly in a silent motion of thanks as he listened to Flintstar speak of death and war.

Skyclan reminisced on the events often. Even if battle didn't rage between the two, stories of what had happened between the neighboring clans lived in through the elder and retired warriors. Despite all of this, he'd never heard of the death of Basildrop's mother, killed in battle for the clan. Never once had the pale tan and gray molly ever spoken ill of Shadowclan. It seemed a blameless pain was held close to her heart. Perhaps Flintstar was right, maybe that was the reason she had abandoned her time as a warrior. She wasn't a weak-willed cat in the slightest and he had heard she could more than hold her own in battle. Regardless, it would never be a son's place to ask. Instead, he offered a more hopeful response, looking up to Flintstar with shining eyes, "I could tell her, if you'd like. That you still care for her. I'm sure she thinks of you too, Flintstar."

Flintstar's ears perked up a little at Wrenspring's offer, a long silent filling the air as he thought it over. He...He missed her, in some sense. She had been his first friend, the first cat to give him a chance outside of his family despite how...Weird and awkward he was. She had meant a lot to him but he had never found the words or the chance to express that to her. He hadn't expected to fall out of contact so quickly, so...Suddenly. But...He also didn't want to weigh her down, if she was content enough to be a queen he didn't want to bring up regrets. But... She deserved to know how much she was...Loved, mostly by a cat who would have a better way of putting it into words."...That would be nice," he finally said, turning his gaze to Wrenspring. "I don't expect things to ever return to the way it was - I do not know how...Easily the tattered bond between our Clans can be healed. Tell her that I do not expect anything from her - that if she doesn't wish so, we do not need to return to the way things are. But just...Tell her that I care for her and hope she is thriving well enough in her new position in life." After that, he fell silent for a long couple of heartbeats.

"...I should get going, I have duties to attend to. However, before I take my leave, is there anything more you wish to inquire about?"

At the leader's well-thought out response, he simply nodded, not quite understanding the complex relationship between the two. It was strange to consider how intricate matters of friendship could grow to be over the moons of time. His voice was rather soft and ripe with understanding as he piped up in response, "I'll make sure I tell her, I'll make sure that she knows."

Flintstar fell silent. The Skyclan warrior resigned to not speaking as well. His tail flickered behind him. After so long of striving to meet the Shadowclan leader, it now felt like there was a part of him that became satisfied with the simple interaction. He smiled to Flintstar. There was a kinship he had never felt towards another clan's cat, a funny feeling, rooted mostly in respect. He shook his head at the question and took a moment before nodding finally, "You probably have a lot more to do than chatter at the border with a Skyclanner, but, thank you, Flintstar. And... well, just know that not everyone in Skyclan hate your clan. We're all living for our own clans. And you don't seem too bad for a frog eater." Flashing a friendly grin, the warrior flicked his tail in farewell, heading back to ponder over the conversation for a moment and continue with his hunt.

Flintstar simply grunted in response to Wrenspring's final words, having little idea of how to reply. It was...Good to know that all of SkyClan did not hate ShadowClan. He wanted to undo the mistakes of his ancestors, redeem ShadowClan's reputation after the disaster with Lynxscar... He was certain some hatred would remain between both of their Clans, but if a couple cats still believed in them...Then perhaps a new path could be found. He watched as the SkyClan warrior disappeared into the treeline, feeling a...Lightness in his chest. A weight gone that he wasn't aware was there.

...Relief, he realized. Relief that Basildrop was alive. That she was doing okay. He often tried not to think of her but he always failed, she had meant to much to him but...Now she would know - he trusted Wrensping to pass on his message. Perhaps he would never see Basildrop again, that was alright with him if it was her wish but...As long as she was happy, he think he would be okay with that. Slowly he turned and padded into the shadows of his domain, a soft yawn escaping him. He did have much to do, he wasn't sure if he was ready to return to the camp without a catch before he turned in for a nap but at least he was certain that he would rest easy knowing that his best friend was doing alright.

Also he guessed Wrenspring seemed alright as well.

OOC: Topic over~