All that is Looming [C]

Bloodstrike was of duty for tonight. He strolled out of camp and passed the guards, but who would dare tell this old warrior what to do? Literally only the deputy and leader themselves. He had no need to explain himself, he simply went where he chose. Tonight he actually felt at peace. Though the night was a little on the warm side since it was greenleaf, he couldn't help but notice how fresh everything smelled. He made his way to the Moonlit Creek and bent his head for a drink. The moon's light reflected on the slow moving water, making it look like a shimmering, earthly representation of Silverpelt itself. He had lost a lot of his family and had been through some very turbulent years, but Bloodstrike had come out on top despite all of it. He was alive and he had protected at least one of his daughters. Beechfang was back home where she belonged, and he had made a huge sacrifice to keep her safe. He abandoned his clan and his leadership for her, and he'd do it a thousand times over, if necessary.

His thoughts must have summoned her, because her scent was light on the breeze as it blew. He sat down calmly and looked over his shoulder. His expression was calm and his eyes were soft. He hadn't felt this good in many, many moons. As she appeared, he took in the sight of her silver fur and even her scars. They had both survived. Fate and even death could not claim them before either of them were ready. "It's... nice out tonight." He said, his voice almost a whisper, as if speaking too loud would ruin the serenity of the night.

The night was warm, and Beechfang found herself unable to sleep in the crowded den for Skyclan's warriors. The night guards seemed pacified by her wanting to take a walk, or perhaps they didn't have the heart to stand in her way. Still, Beechfang thought, a short walk and maybe she'd be able to return to her nest. Just to distract from the ever-present thoughts swirling in her mind.

Her paws found their way to the creek, the soft murmur of slow-moving water breaking the otherwise quiet night. She turned, following the water at a slow walk. To walk this forest and be able to call it home once more was a privilege she had not thought to have again. Her kits had led the clan to prosperity she had never thought to see, to peace she had thought Skyclan utterly incapable of.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, a voice whispered that it wouldn't last. It never did. For once, Beechfang chose to ignore it. The threat of Riverclan learning of her, the potential that lived in Falconmoon... The peace Skyclan had clawed their way to was a fragile thing she worried would break. And yet she could almost believe Skyclan would be alright. Survive was what they had done for generations, and survive they would. She was home.

Her father's voice broke into her thoughts, and her single eye turned to find him sitting at the creek's edge, glancing over his shoulder. Peace hadn't been something either of them had known for a long time, if even there had been a time. It was the first time in a long time she could recall seeing him this relaxed.

Maybe they were getting soft in their age.

"It is." She replied softly, coming to sit beside the old tom. "Nice enough I couldn't sleep." She added dryly, though for once her tone lacked the edge of unease it would've held. Feelings of peace were always suspicious. They hadn't always been.

"It's nice to walk these woods again, to know it's ours."

Bloodstrike rarely had moments of peace like this. He rarely saw his family calm, rather than angry and afraid. What an almost foreign feeling to have such a sudden and drastic change of pace. "It is ours whether we walk in it or not. Our bodies will disappear one day, but our blood runs just as deep as any of these roots in this part of the forest. We are proud Skyclanners, alive, dead, or simply away." He felt that from the bottom of his heart. If he were younger, he might have even let his imagination run wild and believe that every tree was a past Skyclan warrior. Every branch, a noteworthy accomplishment. Every leaf... the struggle it took to achieve it. Alas, Bloodstrike was an old tom, all too familiar with the cruelty of reality. His mind had no room for such whimsical nonsense.

"I am happy that you're back. I am happy that my self-exile wasn't all for naught. Your kits are happy to see you too." He wouldn't ruin the moment by mentioning Falconmoon. If he was right and it was Dawnhawk, that kind of truth would reveal itself sooner or later. He intended to be ready when that happened. "What are your plans, Beechfang? Will you retire to the elder's den once you've had enough of warrior life, or will you be as stubborn and foolish as me and simply carry on, fully accepting whatever predator may prove to be your end?" She was mostly Bloodstrike herself, but she had matured and changed where he had largely remained the same. She had some Smokefeather, some sense, buried deep beneath her inherited stubbornness and ferocity.

Bloodstrike's words weren't totally unexpected, and Beechfang nodded slowly. "I've uestioned that a lot. But I think you're right." She had questioned when she was exiled. She had refused to allow herself to be called a rogue and would claim loyalty to Skyclan to the end of her days... Even if that loyalty had meant staying away for a year and watching from a distance. She had questioned the logic of that as it had driven her insane, too. But she had been born a Skyclanner and would die one, exile or not. Her being was tied to this land whether the clan wanted her or not.

"You shouldn't have had to join me in exile. Not for my mistakes." Beechfang grumbled, "But I'm glad we're both back. We belong here, not in twolegplace or anywhere else." It echoed her words to Ravenclaw days earlier, but it was true.

"I'll retire when you do." Came the snarky response. She knew very well that her father was too stubborn to ever move to the elder's den, and truthfully Beechfang didn't think she could ever imagine him there, as much as she would have preferred the old tom just live out the rest of his days peacefully, Bloodstrike didn't seem built for that type of thing. As for herself... Beechfang wasn't sure. "I don't know if I will. Maybe... I'm surprised they haven't tried talking me into that yet, actually. I'm not old and decrepit yet, regardless of what some of the kits think." If there were cats Beechfang had a difficult time saying 'no' to, it was her kits. "You on the other paw... Your bones creaked when I was your apprentice." She couldn't help but poke a little fun at him now.

Bloodstrike had to agree with her, and smiled when she mentioned retiring when he did. So typical. They were so much alike it was scary. She may look closer to Smokefeather, but she had inherited his stubbornness, his pride... and unfortunately his quick temper. She had inherited good things too though, such as bravery and following through on what she said. Beechfang poking fun at him caught him off guard though, and it took him a moment to realize what she was doing. Stars... was he so used to angry Beechfang and struggling that he couldn't even tell when someone was joking around with him anymore?

Well, he was going to fix that. "My bones? Creak? No Beechfang, they never did. Clearly what you heard was the creak of the forest echoing between the empty space between your ears." He gave her a playful rap on the head with a sheathed paw. He nodded once and set his paw back down. "Yep. Still hollow."

He'd gladly accept a genuine claw swipe for that one. He could take it. After a moment of quiet, he had a strange urge to ask her something. "Do you think Wolfstar ever found that place for Skyclan? He wasn't wrong about the forest not being kind to us... at least our bloodline. Juniperlight too... I think about them sometimes. Do you?" His face became slightly somber thinking about his father. He missed him dearly and would love to have him back in Skyclan where he belonged. Maybe he'd know what to do about the Falconmoon situation.

It had been a long time since she heard her father joke. Probably just as long since he heard her do the same. They had gone through a lot of hardship and caused each other plenty of grief in their lives... That seemed to be behind them now, and she was grateful for that. "Yeah, I got that from you." Beechfang snickered, nudging her father's shoulder.

"I miss them." She admitted, gaze turning toward the creek. "I don't disagree with their reasoning for leaving, but I do wish they had stayed. If they actually found somewhere, I think they would have come to find us by now. If they haven't..." The last part was added more quietly, "I... I have my doubts that they did." And she held a sneaking suspicion that her grandfather was in the stars. He'd been old when he left the clan, and the seasons of leadership before doing so had not been kind to Wolfstar either. Beechfang was partially to blame for that, she supposed... A sigh left her.

"Things seem so peaceful now, honestly... I feel like I'm waiting for the other paw to drop." Peaceful, aside from whatever was going on with Falconmoon, and the rotted branch named Riverclan that hung over them. "I wonder what grandpa or Juniperlight would make of it all?"

A smile crossed his face, seeing Beechfang happy. As she spoke, the more he agreed. He didn't blame his father or Juniperlight for leaving either. "I don't know that I would want to know what Wolfcall thought... of me. How I reacted..." His eyes darkened slightly at the memory of lashing out at Briarthorn. "I think he would have called for my exile himself." He hoped that he had sent himself to exile, yes partially for Beechfang's sake, but also because of his actions that proved he wasn't leadership material any longer, that Wolfcall would be proud of him for doing at least that much.

"Unless you mean... our other concern..?" He didn't even want to mention Falconmoon. They were having a quiet night for once and he wanted to avoid disturbing it at all costs. Brooding, he hastily changed the subject. "I think Skyclan currently has the best leadership it has seen in generations. I pray nothing happens to make it fall apart. But you're right. It always seems like something is coming to disturb Skyclan's future, or try. We are a resilient clan, if nothing else."

"Oh, I'm sure he'd be disappointed in both of us." Her whiskers twitched, "I should've walked away from Cloverheart, and yet..." Beechfang shook her head. It was far too late to change that mistake. "I never wanted the rest of the clan at risk for my own mistakes." That was what she had done, though. Riverclan waltzing into their camp had been an unwelcome wakeup call, as had the gathering preceding it. "Briarthorn challenged you in front of Perchstar. I'm not sure my reactin would have been different, if I were in your paws. Not that it was a good way to react, of course. At the time it... seemed easier, to resort to claws first."

"All of it, really... Not just him." If Bloodstrike wasn't going to bring his name up, she would've either. "Even Ravenclaw seems happy now. I spoke to her recently, she thinks my grandson's not like him, too. Seems to think Wolfblossom has done well with her kits. I think she's right, at least from what little I've seen." From Ravenclaw, that was glowing praise. "I wish I knew them better than I do." Living in exile wasn't conducive to being particularly close with family.

Her ear twitched at his words, "It's strange to think of the clan as well-led. They seem like they're on the same paw with each other too, which is a good thing." How different that was to herself and Wolfstar, or Bloodstrike. It seemed like Skyclan's current leaders were determined not to make the mistakes their predecessors had. She hoped it stayed that way. Whatever the universe decided to throw at the clan next, Beechfang was almost confident that the clan could handle it.

All of my suffering was worth it. He thought to himself as Beechfang finished speaking. With that realization, Bloodstrike suddenly found himself... tired. He blinked slowly once, twice, then shook his head a little to clear it. He might not have been Skyclan's leader for very long at all, but stars-cursed if he hadn't been it's guardian through and through from the moment he was able to stand to this very moment right now. Despite the concerns, the clan was safe, strong and stabilizing from generations of disaster. He had done what Spottedstar had refused to do: Step down from leadership when it was painfully obvious that he was no longer fit for the role. It hurt his pride, but he loved his clan enough to have done it.

I may not have been the best leader, but I was the leader the clan needed at the time. And he found himself to be very okay with that realization. It made him smile. He had dispelled the accusations of Skyclan being cowards, but in doing so brought a new label: War-mongers. It had been a necessary evil, but now it was being remedied by Birdstar and he trusted Wolfblossom to continue to help Skyclan thrive.

"I'm happy with the way things are now. I will defend this clan with my dying breath and give it what is left of my body to continue to thrive the way it is now. I guess Birdstar saw that in me, and in you." His tiredness hit him again, harder this time. The old tom suddenly began to feel his age now that his fury was not present to drive him onward. It was strange, he'd been angry for so long that he wasn't sure what to do without it. He'd been in a rage since his first gathering as an apprentice, the first time he heard the Windclanner called Crowspirit call Skyclan a bunch of cowards.

He'd beaten that warrior in a fair fight at Fourtrees when the time came. His message had been clear: Not all Skyclanners were cowards, and if someone insulted Skyclan in front of Bloodstrike, they'd better be ready for a fight.

"I think you're admirable, by the way. Admitting your crimes and accepting exile with grace. That is how Skyclanners should be. Not all of us are, but you are someone worth looking up to, Beechfang. Your kits see that, I am sure. If you had been leader, I would have followed you loyally, as I did when you became a rogue. I want you to know and remember that. I won't be around forever, my kit."

"You... Led us better than I gave you credit for, at first. I was unfair." Beechfang admitted. "You did everything you could to protect this clan." And he still did. She would, too. Of that, there had never been any doubt, exile or not. Leader, medicine cat, warrior... Whatever. It made no difference.

"I didn't want to, it was hard." Beechfang admitted. She'd had a mate and kits, she didn't want to leave them or have to watch her family from the shadows like she'd done with her first litter. One stupid decision and it had come crashing down around her, but she had endured. "Part of me wanted to leap at Perchstar myself... But I was tired of seeing those I care about threatened and in danger. If my exile made them safer..." Had it truly made them safer, though? Would Dovefrost have gone to twolegplace that day she and Birdstar and Fawnshine had found him? He'd left his clan for her and had paid the price for it.

"Leader, me? Now that's a terrifying thought." Beechfang allowed a small smile, she didn't know how she would fare as leader. It had taken her a long time to learn not to be impulsive and reckless. She wasn't someone who should have inspired loyalty. Bloodstrike was being strangely sentimental tonight... It set off alarm bells in the back of her head. "If there's one thing we're good at, it's sticking by each other, I suppose. And surviving things we shouldn't." And arguing with each other, her whiskers twitched at the thought. "You're not going anywhere, dad." It was nice, to indulge in that delusion just for a little bit. Bloodstrike was not a cat to back down from trouble, and if there was one thing she knew, it was that trouble liked Skyclan, liked her family. "Not if I have anything to say about it."

Bloodstrike's heart lurched in sympathy for her as she mentioned not wanting to go to exile, but knowing it had been the right thing to do. He knew that feeling too. As for him not going anywhere? He'd let her believe that for now. He could feel it in his every stiff movement on patrol that his time was coming. He felt it even before Briarthorn challenged his leadership. Every time there was peace in SKyclan, he felt the weight of all of his conflicts nearly crush the life right out of him. What a cruel joke that the only cure for his agony was more conflict.

"I should probably start heading back. The clan will assume a fox got us." He gave her a small smile. The old tom pulled himself to his feet, a moment of stiffness catching up with him for just a moment. He did have the control over his body enough to not walk with a limp at least, but for how much longer?

"It's nice to talk with you again, Beechfang, in our own territory." It was a good moment for him, and he wanted to relish its reality for as long as he could. Moments of peace had been too few and far in between in his life. He only wished his old age allowed him to stay awake longer.