Shadow of a Lark's wings [Closed..Ish]

Bright amber eyes flashed around the swamp as the tortoiseshell she-cat - that stood just barely into the ShadowClan borders - took in a deep breath. In a second, she was reeling back, her nose bunched up at the unfamiliar scent that overwhelmed her. But yet...As she forced herself into another deep breath, the scent started to feel familiar to her but was still was so strange compared to the kittypet scent that clung to her sleek fur and plump figure. It had been moons since he had stood on the borders of this place as her eyes widen to take in the sights that she had almost forgotten. Her memories of old had become like dreams but now she felt it all rushing back as a smile started to appear on her face. But then...

Her smile faded, her gaze flickered over her shoulder as doubt and terror surged within her. It had been so long since that stupid night that she had decided to leave ShadowClan. Did anybody she know still live? Would anybody in ShadowClan recognize her? Fear blossomed within her like a flower in Greenleaf. Perhaps this was a mistake...Even if they did accept her, she had - despite her attempts - grown soft in her life as a Kittypet. Would she be able to return to the life she had foolishly abandoned so many moons ago?

...No. She shook her head as her eyes harden, turning her gaze back to the territory that stretched out before her. She had made her choice when she had escaped that dreaded Twoleg's place. It was time to return home. And so, with a deep breath to settle the raging doubt within, Larkpaw started to trek slowly toward the middle of the ShadowClan territory - in hopes of finding the home she had left so many moons ago on a stupid quest. All she could hope that her old home still stood and would welcome her back.

The tabby queen prowled through the shadowy territory, stretching her legs after being cramped inside the nursery and taking care of others' kits. She preferred to take her patrols alone, especially since her own kits and her adopted children became apprentices and warriors and grew into independence. Tigerflower couldn't help her need to brood. Her own failures consumed her, but she had no one to tell. She missed her days as an apprentice, when she could walk about her own camp without feeling like a stranger.

Now, stalking the marshes alone, Tigerflower was left to her own devices. Maybe she could bring in a little prey and prove she had at least some worth. A foreign scent caught her nose, and she went completely still. Her ears flicked every way, straining to detect even the slightest movement, and her mouth opened to allow the surrounding scents to flood in. A flicker of movement and the sudden flooding of the smell alerted her to a stranger approaching, and a low growl started in her throat. On the outside, she was poised and ready to strike whoever came through her line of sight. On the inside, she was beginning to panic and wondered what exactly she was going to do when she found the trespasser. She was just a queen; she hadn't fought anybody in moons. Her claws slid out of their sheathes. She took a stuttering breath and then gave a warning yowl, attempting to sound courageous.

"Stop, trespasser! Show yourself!"

Larkpaw had started to fear that she was lost. Her countless moons away had dampened her memories and she wasn't even sure if she was heading the right way. Loose vines and roots threaten to trip her, mud sticking to her pelt and paws. She paused, staring down at her mud stained black and orange paws, feeling conflicted. The soft side she had unwilling gained during her life as a kittypelt wanted her to be disgusted at the muck that clung to her but her warrior side - one that she had feared was gone - felt her heart rise as the joy that she may once again see her brother and father

...Then a voice cried out, ordering her to stop. Her eyes flashed wide as she raised her head, her fur standing on edge as she took a step back her gaze spun widely around to locate where that voice had come from. She swallowed back the fear that rose inside of her as she reminded herself that she was a ShadowClan cat - even if her scent was not of one. It had to be another warrior and so she slowly started to trek forward. "I'm coming out!" she called softly, tasting the air to see if she recognized the smell in the slightest but she couldn't - it was an unknown cat she was about to reveal herself to.

But she didn't stop as she finally stepped from the undergrowth and found the tabby - looking ready for a fight. Larkpaw swallowed softly as she compared her plump figure to the skinnier body of the harden warrior, flinching at how clear it was just by her looks that she was a kittypet. She didn't open her mouth to say anything, wanting to let the she-cat speak as Larkpaw struggled to come up with ways to inform the queen that she was in fact a long lost ShadowClan apprentice and was seeking to return home.

Still feeling a little shaky at the prospect of a fight, Tigerflower's form stayed rigid as the other she-cat slowly revealed herself. She was surely no real threat; a house cat if she ever saw one. The queen wondered how exactly a silly kittypet, about her own age, had managed to get all the way over to ShadowClan territory. The stranger looked terrified herself. What an odd stand-off. How should she address her? Was aggression the right move here if the kittypet was just looking for her home? Tentatively, Tigerflower stood to her full, though small, height and forcefully relaxed her muscles.

"You... don't belong out here. You look lost." She meowed, rather quietly. She often felt lost herself. How poetic. She dared to step forward and lightly sniffed the pelt of the intruder, trying to find exactly which territories she had traipsed through on her way from Twolegplace. It could have been any of their neighbors. They all touched different sections of the alleys and structures. "Who are you? How did you get all the way out here?" The ShadowClan queen asked, beginning to gain confidence in herself.

Larkpaw's fur bristled as the queen took a step forward to sniff her, afraid of suddenly being attacked by the she-cat but allowed herself to relax as she listened to her words. The ex-apprentice felt a pain of shame flash though her as the she-cat noted that she seemed lost. It felt embarrassing that she was indeed lost in what had once been her territory as well, but there wasn't much she could do about it. She watched the she-cat with worry until the tabby questioned the one thing Larkpaw was dreading - who was she.

Her ears flickered back as her mouth opened slightly, wondering that question herself. Was she Larkpaw, a ShadowClan apprentice and kit of Magpiewing who sought to return to her Clan or was she Lark, the soft kittypet who was chasing a foolish dream and was the daughter of a rogue. For a second, she wasn't sure how to respond as she struggled for the words to say. "I...I am..." she hesitated for just a moment before she swallowed her fear. "I am Larkpaw, once apprentice of ShadowClan and I've...I've come home."

Magpiewing sighed deeply as his paws carried him further into the muddy marshes. His usual peppy persona had been lost amongst a slur of sadness and nostalgia that hit him in his core. His son.. His son was gone. Exiled in cold blood for making a decision he probably never dreamed would put him in such a situation. Amberclaw was sent away from his home, cast adrift and scorned by his own family. The black warrior couldn't stand himself for accepting such a cruel fate.

The tom was his last born son. The last son Magpiewing would ever have. As much as he respected Thrushstar, even with his strange behaviours and border-line insanity, this was one decision he couldn't swallow easily.

As he ventured out deeper into ShadowClan's marsh, he saw a familiar brown pelt. He wasn't expecting to come across any cat at this time of night, but he welcomed her sight. Tigerflower had always felt like family to him. Perhaps he could confide in her his distress. Only StarClan knows how Leopardfang or Thrushstar would react if he so openly admitted his dislike for the leader's choice, but Tigerflower was a caring queen. He was sure she could be the confidant he needed.

"Tigerflowe--" his call was cut off as a familiar scent filled his nose. The tom froze, his golden eyes widening at the smell. There was no doubt about it. That was the scent of the Twolegplace. Immediately crouching down, he approached behind the she-cat and followed her gaze to the source of the rancid odor. His pupils narrowed at the plump kittypet. A small growl began to rise in his throat as he crawled closer.

As he was about to hiss at the trespasser, her voice rang out. I am Larkpaw, once apprentice of ShadowClan and I've...I've come home. His stance now lost and his mouth open wide, Magpiewing stared at the tortoiseshell. There was no way. This was a trick. She couldn't be the same Larkpaw. Not his Larkpaw. "Y-You can't really be Larkpaw... Can you?"

Her head whipped around and her eyes landed on Magpiewing. She was glad that he of all of her clanmates had come here. He was brave and compassionate and would know exactly what to do in this situation. Larkpaw... hadn't she heard that name before? Hadn't she seen that dappled pelt? She tilted her head and examined the other she-cat closely, trying to get a better view of the hazy image that popped up in her mind. "Larkpaw... Larkpaw..." There it was, forming in her mind. Tigerflower's eyes dropped to the ground in concentration. "I knew a Larkpaw, once. Long time ago. We were denmates. We became apprentices really close to each other... didn't talk much, but I'm sure I knew her." Her voice had become a murmur.

The queen glanced sideways at Magpiewing. Weren't they related somehow? She couldn't remember the details. It was too long ago. Why would a kittypet say it if it wasn't her? How would she even know the name, the land, the customs? She was still mistrustful of the stranger. Was there even a sure way to know if it was really her or not? Her green eyes searched Magpiewing's, practically asking them what they should do.

Larkpaw had braced herself for the questions that were about to come from the she-cats mouth no doubt before she froze as a new voice split the air. She spun to face the black tom that had stumbled across the two, his mouth hanging open as he took her in - his eyes wide with shock and uncertain. Larkpaw met his gaze with a mixture of shock, joy, and sorrow. Her ears flickered back as he questioned her - watching his movements carefully. Even her time as a kittypet hadn't dampened her ability when it came to catching on subtle hints and could tell that something else - not her sudden present - was weighing her father down. She gasped for any clue of what it could be but was left unsure as the queen spoke up.

She...Knew her? Larkpaw turned her gaze back to the tabby when she admitted that she had once knew her as she peered closely at the tortoiseshell. It was hard to put a name to a face that she had seen so many years ago - mostly with how many tabbies there were in ShadowClan but as she drank in the scents around her, her eyes widen as she recognized it. She leaned back, a soft smile flashing on her face. "You...You are Tigerpaw, aren't you!" she murmured in response. "Well...I-I suppose you are a warrior now so that isn't your name..." She shook her head as she drifted off, taking a small step back so that she could get a better view of the two cats. "I-It is me! I swear on StarClan's name that I am truly Larkpaw!" Her gaze met with Magpiewing's as she stared into the amber eyes that she had gotten from him. "Don't you recognize me father?"

Magpiewing glanced up in Tigerflower's direction, catching her uncertain gaze. He could tell the queen was wary, and worried about the validity of this kittypet's words. It was nearly impossible that this stranger could know his lost daughter's name, as well as claiming to know Tigerflower as an apprentice. And it wasn't just a coincidence. In his entire lifetime, Magpiewing had only known one Larkpaw.

The tom tried to straighten his back and stand tall, but the weight of her words turned his legs wobbly. Don't you recognize me father? He felt his heart drop. It was one simple word, but the pull he felt to the she-cat as she called him 'father' made him realize just how honest she was being. As he stared longer, the orange and black pelt she wore became more and more familiar. Her amber eyes bore into his, a pure reflection of his own.

How could he not recognize his own kit?

Nearly breaking down, the black warrior choked on his own words. "L-Larkpaw... I thought you were..." His voice trailed off as he padded towards the lost apprentice, trying to discern her scent behind the revolting stench of Twolegs. Turning back to Tigerflower, he gave her a short nod. "I recognize her. She isn't lying," he meowed, reassuring the tabby. "It's hard to believe, but she must really be my daughter."

She returned his nod, still surprised that the stranger had known her former name. "It must be true. There's no set of coincidences in the world that could make this a mistake. Oh, Larkpaw..." Tigerflower found herself purring, glad to have someone who hadn't seen the mistakes she'd made. She had even sworn on StarClan's name. This was no kittypet, this was an apprentice of ShadowClan, though a little old for that title. Her clanmates would be relieved to have her home.

The queen stepped forward as well, a little embarrassed that she hadn't made the connection sooner. It was so obvious now! "Larkpaw! I'm so sorry, I didn't recognize you. But I see it now. Welcome home; you must have quite the story to tell." She meowed, much friendlier and more relaxed. Tigerflower studied her tortoiseshell pelt carefully. It must have been at least a little dangerous, and the queen hoped that Larkpaw hadn't gotten seriously injured or run into any other trouble on her return home. "So much has happened in your absence. Oh, yes... I earned my warrior name a long time ago. I'm called Tigerflower now."

Larkpaw's gaze flickered between the queen and her father, her pelt prickling in worry but her whole body visibly relaxed when they both agreed that she was who she was. But when her father stepped forward, his voice catching on his words as he attempted to choke them out, the ex-apprentice felt a pain of guilt stab though her. How could she had been so stupid those years ago? For a few seconds she found it hard to breath as she got a good look at her father in so long, many different emotions swelling up inside her. Joy, despair, guilt, sorrow - each threaten to overwhelm her until she did the only thing she could do - surge forward and brush her head against her father's cheek. "I am so, so sorry," she whispered as she fought the overbearing emotions down as she rested her chin on the back of his neck. "I was so stupid an-and angry that I didn't even think about how much pain I would cause you and Amberpaw...But I am home...I am finally home."

She would have happily stayed there - so close to her father as she happily welcomed the scent of him that she inhaled with every breath. However, when her old denmate stepped forward to speak, Larkpaw pulled herself away, but only enough to turn to look at the she-cat as she didn't want to leave her father's side after being away for so long. She listened to the queen's words with faint smile, before shaking her head as she finished speaking. "No need to apologize," she purred, her voice still think with emotional. "I've been gone so long...Well, I don't blame you for not recognizing me."

As for the story...Her face flickered with uncertainty. It wasn't a good story of why she had left. Chasing down the she-cat rogue that was her mother. It had been a stupid goal that she had never completed and had almost lost everything she cared about because of it. And having spent most of her life as a kittypet...She was glad to hear that the so much had happened - something to look forward to at least. "I'm happy to hear that much has happened - It would of been dreadful if in my time away the Clans were as boring as a life as a kittypet was." She smiled softly before pausing to muse over her old denmate's warrior name. "So, Tigerflower huh? Its a beautiful name."