The Liberation of Windclan [Clan Plot Topic]

So many cats were worried about her, and her skin felt hot under her fur. She was not used to being cared for in this way. "They didn't hurt us, for the most part. But after Thalia found out about what they did to us, I did something and got taken away. Brick and I were both assigned to RiverClan."

Downtuft stepped forward, dipping his head to Lilacstar. "Lilacstar, do you mind if I take a patrol to RiverClan to find Brick? And the other Clans as well, to find Finchkit." Downtuft asked, shifting on his paws. "Of course Fawnstep, Zinnia, Deerhawk, and Hayglow would stay here, they're probably tired."

Determination simmered in his fiery green eyes, his paws anxiously kneading the ground. Downtuft knew he had to find them, and bring them home. For Olivestar. Even if she wasn't here, he owed it to her and to Finchkit to bring him home safe. Brick, as well.

Lilacstar sighed, chuckling. Downtuft always seemed to know what to do, even if she did not. "That would be a good idea. We will want to keep the patrol small, but maybe take Heatherrain with you. We cannot force any cat to come back, but I am sure it would do her well to see her kit again. Bring Spotlake as well. The Asylum should not pose any more threat, but it will do good to be safe. Shyfawn, do you think you could look after Raisha in the meantime? I think she could use some comfort, and Zinnia can't watch her forever. She needs rest."

Raisha's head was swirling with a bounty of thoughts. She wanted to go with the patrol. She had to find Brick. But what Lilacstar said hurt. What if Brick didn't want to come back? Raisha couldn't go to RiverClan. Could she really lose her sister?

Dayspring had never been happier to hear yelling within the camp walls than she was in that moment. Despite the fact that the bitter scent of blood hung in the air, the warmth of hope that rolled off of the pelts of her Clanmates seemed to overpower anything else. She had only been an apprentice when the Asylum had first taken control of the forest, and every day that had passed after that right up until that very moment had progressively felt a little bit worse. Hope was something that she hadn't had the privilege of feeling for a long time. The words were trapped at the bottom of her throat even though she opened her jaw the slightest bit to speak. The cats that surrounded her broke out into cheers or sobs or a mixture of both. Then, there were the Asylum cats that were left behind. She let her jaw shut as she gave the camp a quick scan, watching their former captors flee, but her yellow eyes held no anger. In fact, they were practically as wide as an owl's due to the shock that she felt. Life was, at last, going to return to normal, not only for WindClan, but for the entire forest.

She proceeded to smile and lower her head as the sounds of WindClan surrounded her.
We're free, she thought as a single tear managed to escape from her left eye, we're really free.
There was nothing to be afraid of anymore. Dayspring no longer had to put up a strong front and act as if she wasn't terrified of the situation. Truthfully, she had spent every single day worrying for her life, especially after the Asylum had begun to drag Clan cats out of their homes without any warning, but she had forced herself to smile in front of everyone that she knew. Now, all of that was gone. She could cry without feeling like she was a burden.

She perked her ears in order to listen to the conversation between Raisha, Zinnia, and Softbreeze. All she could do now was hope that WindClan's missing kits would be returned safely, all of them. Well, she supposed that the correct word to use would be missing cats considering the fact that they weren't exactly kits anymore. Every time Dayspring found out a new fact about the Asylum, it made her hatred for them grow. Snatching up innocent kits in the middle of the night without a trace was the lowest move that she had ever heard of. At least those kits would finally be able to see their true homes.

Downtuft dipped head, grateful for the chance to bring his Clan back together again. "Don't worry, Raisha. We'll find your sister. We'll find Brick. Spotlake! Heatherrain! Let's hurry, I want to find them as quickly as possible." With a nod he passed by Dayspring, his tail passing over her flank in a gesture of love, happy she was finally expressing her emotions.

Shyfawn nodded to Lilacstar, approaching Raisha and putting her tail over her, "Come along, the Elder's den is empty aside from Mintflower, and Softbreeze will bring you some herbs for your wounds. When you wake up, we'll have a freshly stocked fresh kill pile, and Softbreeze will check up on you. There's plenty of fresh moss in the Elder's den, so you'll be plenty cozy, darling. Deerhawk, your father, will probably come see you soon but he's tired from fighting. Is there anything you need?" Shyfawn asked her a gentle tone, guiding the injured she-cat towards the Elder's den, wanting to make sure she was comfort tonight after what looked like a bloody fight.

Softbreeze entered her den, smiling at Smallbean, before gathering an herb parcel for infection and one for calming. Raisha seemed upset, so calming her would be important. She grabbed two more for infection and bleeding, as the other cats from the fight would need healing as well.

Raisha managed a smile at Downtuft before following Shyfawn, somewhat leaning on the older she cat. She kind of felt awkward, being surrounded like this. She was so used to fighting, being surrounded by hostility, that now she could hardly relax, yet she still managed to flop into a nest, looking wearily at who she could only assume was Mintflower. When Shyfawn asked her if she needed anything, Raisha simply shook her head. "You have done more than enough. Thank you." And she meant it, too. She only felt love from one other cat, and that was Brick. The other Asylum cats claimed to love her, but she knew now that this was what it was like to be loved.

Now that everything was settled, Lilacstar returned her gaze to the returning cats. "I want all of you to get looked over by Softbreeze and Smallbean, and then rest up. As for everyone else, I am sure you have plenty you want to hear from them, but it can wait until they are in good shape. For now, let's just enjoy the freedom we have. I think patrols can wait for a while. Enjoy each other's company. Take comfort in the fact that we have won." And with a smile, Lilacstar looked up at the sky. It was finally over.

Hayglow was missing most of this - having not moved from where she had collapsed near the entrance of the camp (in a slightly awkward spot, mind you as she hadn't made it a few steps) and now was actually sound asleep as she was curled up into a loose ball, the events of the night and her deep wounds taking a toll on her. Every once in a while she would twitch, a soft sad, regretful mew escaping her muzzle. Whatever dream she was now having...It was not the most pleasant, but the stress of everything had made her sudden nap a deep one. But still, despite everything her chest was moving with a steady fall and rise. She was alive and stable, even with her terrible wounds. She would survive, and she would get to see a free sunrise within WindClan.

Walking back from Fourtrees seemed to be the most laborious thing he had ever done. He'd heard of how the clans used to journey there for gatherings and knew it took a good portion of the sunfall to accomplish such a feat; but this seemed to be tenfold what the stories told. The warrior would never admit to the weariness that plagued his weakened frame. Fawnstep held his head high and subtly gritted his teeth at every jarring step. After ridding the world of the brutish Nightstriker, the brown and white tom had become the target for every ounce of his captor's hatred. Lexine had intended to kill him and would have if it weren't for Hayglow. Perhaps he should properly thank he later - once things were settled and his pelt didn't sting.

As he padded into the shallow scoop that comprised their camp, it only took a moment before the weight of another cat swept his limbs from underneath him. The familiar scent of Snowbriar invaded his nostrils and her white coat blurred his vision ever so slightly. As much as the pain roared through his body, seeing his sister drew about a broad smile, "Well this rabbit-brain helped to save our clans. Surely that has to be worth something." The tom purred, butting his head affectionately into her side as he half-stood, "You know I love you regardless what insults you could ever throw at me." The cheeky grin on his maw was a rare sight and seemed distant from the cocky and battle-ready tom he normally was; this was only for Snowbriar, of course.

Eagletalon smiled to herself as she watched her clanmates rejoice. She didn't care either way that Asylum was here or gone, just that her life and Deerpaw's life was spared....although they had lost some good cat's on the way Eagletalon knew that those who were clostest to them would someday seem them in starclan.
She wasn't particuarily close to anyone in the clan so she was a bit sad to see the cats leave, but she wouldn't let anyone know. It would be her secret for eternity.