Rememberance and Reality

A white form strode through the reeds, watching the sun sink lower into the sky. It settled itself right above Windclan territory, forcing the tom to wonder. How were his children fairing? Was Ravenwing alright? Oh the thoughts that could have been thunk. Without his knowledge, Ashcloud had wandered into a shallow stream, wading up to his still leafbare thick fur. Sparse hair's of white, downy fur was pulled away by the gently flowing stream. The only thing that brought him out of his staring, thoughtful gaze, was a sharp rock digging itself into his paw.

Flinching in surprise, he scolded himself. 'Just because I'm the son of a kittypet doesn't mean I get to act like one! ' Pulling himself out of the chilling waters, he sat it a dying ray of sunlight, licking at his fur to dry it off. However, while he was busy with the task of grooming, he didn't notice that a shadow had formed on the water.

Ooc: I still don't really know what Stormheart is supposed to be doing since that topic was never finished o.o; This is actually the first time I've posted with her in a while.

Ic:
"Hi Ashcloud!"
Stormheart had wandered up behind the tom and had sat down just by her friend. She smiled cheerfully and glanced at the river nearby, slightly tempted to go for a swim. At the moment, however, she couldn't. She had things to do and they'd be a little more difficult to do if she was soaked. Still, it got really hot every few days now that New-leaf was here, and she could go for a cooling swim.
The she-cat glanced back at Ashcloud and tipped her head questioningly. "Did you just go for a swim?"

Looking up from his dripping, tangled mess of a tail, the warrior watched as an old friend of his sit down beside him. "Hello Stormheart." The sinking sun warmed his pelt, making the outside layer of fur dry, but the undercoat damp. If he hadn't been a Riverclan cat, well, let's just say he'd be a shivering mass of cat. "Didn't mean to, I just woke up from daydreaming and found myself standing in it. Weird.", he smiled and flicked drops of water off of his paws in the opposite direction.

Stormheart's eyes widened in surprise. "That's strange. Must have been pretty deep in thought. I sure have been lately." She replied, nodding in agreement. She settled into a more comfortable, laying position with her paws tucked under her. It had been moons since her sister's, Hailwhisper's, death, but she still thought about it every now and then. It was almost as if she was suddenly feeling all the pressure of memories that the white fluffball once had, though Hailwhisper had never been one to deal with those sorts of things easily. Plus, she went through worse than Stormheart, which she could easily admit. But that's also what drove her to keep going strong. When the going gets tough, you gotta keep going.

He nodded. "I've been stuck with nostalgia for most of this quarter moon.", the black-spotted male nearly thought off again, before a memory seeped into his mind. It was simple, shortly after a disaster, when everyone was building up from ground zero. "Remember the snow day when we were still apprentices?", Ashcloud meowed suddenly, still staring straight ahead. "With me and Hailwhispher protecting 'Snowkit' from you and Minnowflash?", a content look made it's way on to his muzzle, the first in a long while. It seemed so long ago, though it was only a few moons in the past.

Stormheart nodded slowly, the memory returning. Memories of the two of them along with Minnowflash, another childhood friend, and Hailwhisper all playing together in the snow. She missed those days...She loved seeing a smile on her sister's face, and being carefree with her very best friends. She smiled lightly. "Those were fun days. I kinda wish I could go back to that, just for one day." She murmured, looking up at the sky. "Some things that we lose just don't come back that easily, though."

He nodded quietly. Laughing softly, Ashcloud shook his head. "Indeed. It wouldn't be life if everyone was happy, now would it?" Letting a single black claw dip into the stream, he watched the water create a smooth mark behind the small knife. The colors of the setting sun lit the water with oranges, reds, and golds. "We sound a lot like wistful elder's, don't we?", he meowed in a whisper.

Stormheart huffed in amusement. "Yeah, we kinda do, don't we?" She agreed, purring slightly in laughter. She stretched her front paws forward to unwind them a bit, then returned to her comfortable lying position. She thought back to their past as apprentices. Looking back at it now, it seemed like they lived most of their lives as younger, carefree cats training to get stronger. She sniffled suddenly, cringing as she remembered the sight of Hailwhisper's dead body few moons after they became warriors. She unsheathed her claws and dug them in the ground beneath her, remembering her promise to avenge her sister. However, she still had no realproof of who had killed poor Hailwhisper in cold blood like that...
Realizing she had grown tense, Stormheart quickly relaxed and glanced at Ashcloud curiously. "So...Do you think we'll see Shadowclan at any gatherings for the next few moons?" She asked, wondering what those cats must be up to. Riverclan didn't border Shadowclan, so she had no idea.

Smiling along with her, he too thought of the times they were apprentices. Just after the flood, in the snow, even when Stormheart had been knocked out by a badger and both he and Hailwhisper tried to drive it out. Ashcloud looked to the sky, where the stars were beginning to pop into sight. Wondering if Hailwhisper could see them, he waved his tail at the darkening sky.
Focusing back down, he rolled the question around in his head. "Maybe. Though I'm sure that whenever they come back, it will feel very awkward. We did destroy their camp and their daily lives.", he huffed quietly at the thought.

Stormheart looked at her paws, studying the small grooves in the dirt her claws had created. "I guess so. Both of the other clans seemed to have a reason to fight them, and we had a reason shortly before the battle. Some might think we over-did it, but if Hailwhisper's killer came from Shadowclan, I have no regrets." She added with a short hiss. Her tail tip flicked from side to side in agitation, as she was having a hard time concealing her anger. She sighed however, and sheathed her claws. "It makes me wonder if the other clans think the same way though. I'm sure there's a few warriors out there--maybe several--who thought the whole battle was over-kill." Those cats might not have wanted to participate in the battle at all. Maybe some of the ones who didn't like it, didn't fight? She didn't exactly keep track of everyone there.
Even with that thought in her mind, she still didn't regret fighting the cats of Shadowclan with the rest of Riverclan...Someone in that clan had committed a murder on an innocent cat who had never hurt another. Stormheart thought back to shortly before her sister's death, how Hailwhisper seemed to be in some sort of depression. She repeatedly had nightmares and often woke Stormheart up with them due to her writhing and squeaking in her sleep. Hopefully, whatever suffering she had gone through was over with now that she was in Starclan.

Ashcloud nodded along with her words. He remembered feeling a deep-seated hatred, and ended up attacking the first cat he saw. Everything had gone fuzzy after another cat joined his fight. Flying tails, paws, claws, and shrieks filled the air. Shaking himself to dislodge the memory, he said, "When I look back at it, yes, it was. However, every clan had some grief Shadowclan had given them. It wouldn't have been right to not return the favor.". Something growled softly at his base. It was his pale stomach, whining at him as a reminder that he should eat before sleeping tonight.

She was about to agree yet again when they were interrupted by the sound of...His stomach? She stifled a chuckle, but ended up erupting into laughter. She calmed down though purring still. "Hungry? There's a river right in front of us." She said after a moment of quiet giggles. "We could have a competition and see who can catch the most fish!" She jumped to her paws, as if it were already decided. Boy, if only her sister were here now to join them.