Ghosts of the Past [Swiftheart]

Roseburn wandered into familiar territory, although with not so familiar smells. There were cats here, but she didn't recognize who they were. Were they ShadowClan? Or had this place been lost to rogues?

Luckily, she had left Batkit hidden in a makeshift nest. She trusted the Clans wouldn't hurt a kit, but she didn't know the state of things in the territories since she had last been here. She lost track of how many moons she had been gone. And honestly? She was scared being back here. She didn't know if it would be scarier to face a stranger, or to see a face she knew. She decided she should just get in and out as quick as possible. No cat had to even know she was there.

Her luck, however, was starting out rather poor. She couldn't even catch one rat, and she had two mouths to feed. This was supposed to be a quick hunt with the easiest prey she could think of. Apparently this was going to be harder than she anticipated.

Roseburn attempted to catch a rat. Attempt was unsuccessful. -5? SP
85/90 SP

The member 'Karuna' has done the following action : Dice roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 6

Totally didn't forget the invasion dice

The member 'Karuna' has done the following action : Dice roll

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'Invasion Dice' :

Swiftheart was out taking a walk on her own. Even though most times the extraverted white furred warrior would have prefered company, she needed some time to reflect on things recently. She had a rough couple past moons losing so many she cared for. It had not at all been easy for her but recovery was slowly happening, she was slowly starting to feel less and less pain day to day. She just needed more time and maybe she could even be back to her happy self again


However, while walking she ducked behind cover hearing rustling and she listened quietly almost sure that a cat was now hutning in their lands. She narrowed her eyes, loners she now viewed much more hostile than she used to.

Swiftheart in the past would have tried to make friends with a loner but after what a loner did to her daugher he was not in a forgiving mood to let one hunt on their lands especially with the winter being o hard on things

she stalked fowards claws already sliding out as she hissed a warning to whoever it was. They had not caught anything yet it would appear but she was upset enough that she wanted to send message to any loners around that clan land was not to be messed with as if their borders were not clearly marked??

She sprung at the intruder angerly and swiped at them not holding back and also, not yet recognizing who it was


swiftheart uses leaping strike for 10 dmg and 7 sp

"This is shadowclan land!"
she hissed angerly. "loners are not welcome here!

Something about this cat looked so stringingly familiar. A ghost and memory from so far away.

In her mind she fully believed that Roseburn was dead so she did not even recognize her yet.

Roseburn:
35 hp / 45 hp (-10)
85 / 90 sp

Swiftheart:
70 / 70 hp
153 / 160 sp (-7)

Roseburn let out a screech as she was bowled over, lashing out wildly at whoever her attacker was. All she could see was flashes of white fur, and a small part of her mind said she should know this cat, but through her panic she wasn't fully thinking rationally. She didn't even think to say how she used to be a part of ShadowClan, her mind had just gone into survival mode.

She snapped at the aggressor with her teeth before trying to scramble away, creating as much distance as possible and crouching low to the ground, covering herself with her owl wings for protection. She dully noted her leg was starting to ache a bit. Could she really handle a fight in her condition? Maybe she could convince this cat to let her go.

"Please. I have a kit. He needs food. Please have mercy on us, I promise I'll leave and you'll never have to see me again."

Roseburn used Snap and Desperate Blows, dealing 13 HP and costing 14 SP

Roseburn
35/45 HP
71/90 SP

Swiftheart
57/70 HP
153/160 SP

Swiftheart hissed angerly as she got pushed back by the loner's counter-attack. Whoever they were they seemed to at least have an understanding of fighting.

Her ears went back however listening to the cat. A kitten? This cat was a mother. Swiftheart felt a lot of emotions hit her hearing that. But... that voice!? She knew that voice. Squinting at the cat she felt a chill go down her spine... It wasn't!? It could not be??

Roseburn was dead she had believed it for so long that she could not explain what her eyes and ears were telling her, but there was her sister clear as daylight. Her jaw twitched going loose in shock and she blinked over and over expecting that in any moment she would awaken in her nest from just a dream... but the snap and blows her sister gave her hurt a bit too much for this to be a dream.

"R-roseburn??" she meowed it fully in a question of shock and disbelief.

"I can not belive it" (lol is discord joke... I had to)

She took a half step forward, "It's me sis... Swiftheart" she blinked looking at her sister as if a ghost.

"you have a KIT now!?" she squealed excitedly. The shock was already starting to wear off and replacing it was the typical Swiftheart excitment and happiness that Roseburn probably remembered more of.

"You are finally home!!" she cheered so happy.

Roseburn took a step back as the cat seemed to ponder what she said. Maybe this would be her chance to escape? She could just turn tail and run. But if the cat pursued her, there would be no way she could escape with her bad leg acting up the way it was.

And then the cat said her name.

"...Swiftheart?" Roseburn blinked, still trying to calm the adrenaline pulsing through her veins. "Wow, uh, long time no see? Wow.... you, uh, you really scared me."

Seeing as there was no imminent danger, as far as Roseburn knew, she let herself take a seat, closing her eyes against the dull throbbing in her leg. Although she could not help a smirk at Swiftheart's excitement at hearing she had a kit. "Yeah, I do. He's not here right now. I left him in a makeshift den to keep him hidden away. I try not to make him travel if I don't have to. We've already gone a long way, and there are a lot of bad cats out there. It's hard for me to defend him given..... well, yeah, you know why. So it's easier to make sure he isn't in danger in the first place."

Although she opened her eyes, this time wide with shock, at Swiftheart's next words. "H-home?" Her voice sounded significantly smaller as she said this, getting choked up on the word. It had been so long since Roseburn had thought of any place as home. She just took shelter where she could. Suddenly the word just felt so foreign to her.

Swiftheart glanced at her paws for a moment feeling a bit bad for not recognizing her own sister faster. "yeah... sorry for the scare" she meowed sheepishly. Almost right away however, she perked back up to her happy self and went over to Rose's side to give her a friendly nuzzle.

There was that smirk, classic Roseburn! Swiftheart listened quietly to how her sister was seemingly on the move quite a bit now and hiding her kitten somewhere.

Swiftheart gave a slow nod as her sister repeated and stuttered the word home. "That's why you are here right? You are coming back to us?" she meowed sure that was the reason. "I missed you so much... I didn't know you were" her voice trailed off and she shook the thought from her head. She smiled eager to introduce her to all the new clanmates.

"Well, come on, let's go get your kit and settle you both in! Stars you must be tired living all out on your own no?" she asked. The talkative warrior purred eyes wide now with her usual energy: "what is your kittens name? Did you tell him all about the clans? Does he look like you lots?" She tried to limit herself knowing it was probably all overwhelming to Roseburn but could hardly help herself.

For a moment, Roseburn just stayed silent. Yes, she had come back because she knew her kit would be safer with a Clan. But to go back.... She had convinced herself that they wouldn't want her back. She didn't know if she could face the rest of the Clan. Not after having ran away the way she had. To see the looks on her siblings faces. The disappointment she knew would be in Nightstar's eyes. And surely Echomist and Harechaser would shun her for her cowardice.

But Swiftheart was so excited. And looking at her older sister, it honestly broke her heart. So Roseburn just smiled and nodded.

She didn't respond as Swiftheart asked if she was tired being alone. She didn't know how to answer that question. So she just stood up, ready to follow her sister, making sure to only answer select questions. Nothing about what she said about the Clans.

"He really doesn't look like me at all. He's black and white, although I guess he does have my eyes. And his name is...." She paused. What would Swiftheart even think of this name?

"...his name is Batkit."

Swiftheart nodded listening to what her nephew was like. Apperently, he looked like a mixture of herself and Night with Rose's eyes. She looked at her paws a bit, there was a lot to catch her sister up on. A lot of their family was dead now and that was not something she looked forward to having to share. But that could wait till they were settled in more.

"well come on, lets go get him and get you both something to eat and a place to rest for a bit. Later on I will catch you up on everything promise" she purred gently nuzzling her sister back up to her paws.

"We can get Heatherberry to give you and Batkit a medical checkup as well."

The name Bat felt weird to say, she did not particularly like the prefix given its past connections but quickly got over it. Bat was her nephew now and that was all that mattered.

"I am so glad you are home" she whispered and flicked her tail for Roseburn to lead the way to retrieve the kitten so they could get going back to camp once they got him too.

Heatherberry?

What had happened to Burdockroot? She knew things wouldn't be exactly the same as they were before, but to think Burdockroot was gone.... Roseburn hadn't known her all that well, but they had been around the same age. They even sat vigil after their warrior ceremonies together, before she took the medicine cat route. Part of Roseburn was scared for what she would find when she got to the camp. How many cats had died? It had felt like the world was ending when she ran away. What was she going to find now that she was back.

Still, Roseburn led the way to where she had left Batkit hidden away. It felt wrong to call this place home. It still didn't feel like home.

But Batkit would be safe here. That was all that mattered.