Well... We Survived [Open]

Flamestrike's slight limp had only gotten worse on the way back to camp. While he had not actually been injured all that much during battle, other than the few moves Bear had gotten in on him, everything felt stiff. The weight of Bear's murder dragged him down. Despite all that the monstrous, rogue leader had caused, in the end it had been his only kin. Well, that was other than the tiny kit that hung from his jaws. Barkkit. Honeydrop had informed him of their names. A chill ran through him as he glanced down at the pelt of his brother's kit. They had the same dark, brown fur. The little tom bounced awkwardly against his front legs as they padded along. It was uncomfortable, but it did not compare to the feeling of everything else. He was mostly numb, having pushed back the feeling of everything else. The walk would have been unbearable otherwise. All he wanted to do in that moment was curl up and disappear. But these kits needed him.

As the camp entrance came into view, a sigh escaped him through the mouthful of fur. Honeydrop walked next to him most of the way. Sometimes she would get a little bit ahead, but the pair mostly stayed side by side. The golden she-cat had her own fair share of trauma. He assumed her paws steps were heavy as well. Although, the medicine cat had not seen her home for a few moons. Returning back to camp would be exciting for her. It didn't occur to him until they were standing right outside of the Shadowclan camp. He had no idea if Leopardstar would accept them. He can't say no... these are Shadowclan kits by blood. There is no way. Right? A spark of panic hit him at the thought of losing his newly found kin. Teeth gripped tighter into Barkkit's scruff as if willing the kit to never leave. Regardless, they had to face the leader. It was up to Leopardstar in the end. Flamestrike silently vowed to leave along with the kit if they were refused. Even if the orange warrior would forever be haunted by the image of Bear when he looked at Barkkit, it was not the young cat's fault.

Once they reached the center of the Shadowclan camp, Flamestrike set down Barkkit, and waited for Honey to do the same. Part of him thought to call out to the leader. Words failed to form on his lips. There was nothing he could think of to say. Explaining was the last thing he wanted to do. Instead, Flamestrike patiently waited for someone to notice them.

Hazeflight waited by the entrance. She had longed to go on that trip, to sink her claws into the foulbrohue who had killed Tigerflower. It would of been satisfying, but now she waited in silence fearing for the ones who had left. Praying they were okay.

The moment the familiar orange pelt of Flamestrike appeared, she was on her paws and racing toward him. "You're okay!... You're all okay! Thank StarClan! " she purred as she Nuzzled Flamestrike.

Hazeflight's eyes flew to the kit in his jaws, as she looked at the little tom it reminded her of Wolffang. The silver She-cat stepped back, her eyes brming with tears, she knows whose kit this was." Wolffang..." she muttered feebly as she stared at the two kits. "She was one of them wasn't she?" she meowed her voice cracking. What had she done wrong? Why did StarClan hate her? Why did they hate her family?

Honeydrop stumbled into ShadowClan camp right behind Flamestrike, carrying a red-brown scrap of fur in her jaws. Her little brother, Redkit. The offspring of her father Mudfoot's dalliance with the young warrior who had kidnapped and almost killed her. But she refused to judge the young tom for his parents. He was ShadowClan, through and through, and she would treat him as such. If Leopardstar wouldn't take him in, then she would raise him herself. She found it hard to raise the same feelings for Redkit's half-brother, Barkkit, kit of the two cats that had made her life for the past two moons a misery. But if she could extend love to her new younger brother, than perhaps she could find it in her heart to forgive the young tom for atrocious crimes he had never committed.

Still injured and two exhausted to walk another step, Honeydrop collapsed gladly on the muddy ground of ShadowClan camp next to the tom who had rescued her. She inhaled the familiar marshy scent and shook a few fallen pine needles off her fur. It had been so long since she had been back in ShadowClan territory. Home at last. She looked longingly at the medicine den, the scent of herbs wafting out welcomingly. Where was Puddlepaw? Was she still here? Had she left, somehow? She gazed upon the fresh-kill pile, the apprentices' den, the leaders' den. Would Leopardstar welcome her back, after she had been gone so long? Despite her wounds and her scent like rogues and hay? Where was the ShadowClan leader, anyways? Had her friends missed her? Were they even her friends, or was she deluding herself?

Despite being taken away from their home by two complete strangers, both kits had managed to fall asleep in the jaws of their captors on the way to... wherever they were going. Barkkit had taken longer than Redkit to finally snooze, but he certainly slept the hardest, only waking up when he was put down on the ground in the strange clearing. His eyes blinking heavily, he let out a big yawn before finally realizing that he was somewhere he had never been before. In fact, he had no idea how far away they were from the barn. Snapping awake almost instantly, the small tom jumped to his tiny paws and backed away from Flamestrike for a moment until his attention was brought to the awkward feel of the ground. "Wait.." he muttered to himself as he glanced down, picking up his front paws and placing them down cautiously, fully aware of the awkward squishing of the soft earth. In fact, every time he stepped down, his nose wrinkled. "Where are we?" He asked Flamestrike. "And who are you?"

All the while, Redkit had woken up from his nap whenever they had gotten close to the camp. Still dangling from Honeydrop's jaws, the small red tom glanced around, still not saying a word. Instead, he was too awestruck and a little nervous about what they were doing in this weird clearing. Both of the grown cats seemed to be waiting on something which was confirmed when the ginger tom set Barkkit on the ground. Even though he was anxious, Redkit couldn't help but stifle a yawn after watching his brother wake up, only to freeze as another cat bound out of nowhere, stopping just shy of the four of them. She was quick to cry about being okay but when her eyes landed on the kits, she stopped, muttering something about Wolffang. The name pulled a sharp gasp out of Redkit, but he still kept his mouth shut, waiting to see what was going to happen.

Barkkit, on the other hand, wasn't going to wait. As soon as this new cat appeared, Barkkit gasped and took a few steps back, finding himself backing into Flamestrike. For a second, the kit was too stunned to say anything but quickly found his voice. "How do you know that name?" he asked somewhat nervously. "Can you take us to her?" How he wished his questions could be answered.

Flamestrike half-nuzzled his former mentor in return. His paws still felt numb and his eyes glazed over as he stared off into the distance. The image of his brother torn apart would forever be ingrained  in his mind. The fact that his paws were still covered in blood did not help much at all. He tore himself away from the dark thoughts of his own head for a moment to register what Hazeflight had said to him. His head nodded stiffly in an answer to the question. Telling his mentor her daughter had becomes mates with a monster was something he simply couldn't bring himself to say out loud. Besides, Hazeflight already seemed to know.

"They're our kin," The warrior tried to manage a soft smile at the thought of having kin. However, as Barkkit spoke up, his features hardened once more. It was probably hard for the young toms to be torn from their family while so little. Flamestrike could relate to the feeling. But he had been too small to remember much of anything. Hopefully, their memories would quickly fade as they grew and they could find their place in Shadowclan as he once had. Trying to find the words to say to the dark brown kit that cowered against his chest was tough. Especially with Barkkit trying to be so bold and brave. Redkit was far more quiet; whether it was an accepting quiet or out of fear, he couldn't say.

"Don't worry. You're home now..." Flamestrike muttered softly and deeply. The words were lined with as much understanding and kindness as he could manage through the paralyzing numbness that now settled in his mind.

Having been taking a quick power nap in the Warrior's den, Mudfoot awoke to the subtle sound of mews in the camp. 'Please let what ever's going on not be another clan here to complain about something,' the tom prayed to himself silently as he stood up. Standing up and giving his hind legs a stretch, he padded out of the den and into the dimly lit camp clearing. A foxlength or two away from him, Flamestrike, his daughter Honeydrop, and two strange kits were beginning to be surrounded by curious clanmates. What in StarClan's name... were those rouge kits?

Making his way over to the growing crowd, Mudfoot pushed his way past the cats and stood in front of Flamestrike. Looking down to the kits, he couldn't help but notice that one of them looked oddly similar to him, but quickly pushed the thought away. "Flamestrike, Honeydrop, who might these two be?" the older warrior asked with a soft smile on his muzzle as he turned his gaze from the tom and then to his daughter, his ears perked and head slightly titled in a curious sort of manner.

Hazeflight quickly worked out what Flamestrike said. The kits were Wolffang's and their father's Bear and Mudfoot. It saddened her to think that Flamestrike's brother was such a monster. "Oh, Flamestrike. I'm so sorry..." she mewed softly.

Her eyes darted to the small brown kit as he spoke, her eyes clouding up even more as he spoke. Hazeflight shook her head softly as the kit asked to see Wolffang. "I can't..." she muttered gently. The kits didn't deserve the reputation they were going to be given.

The silver warrior shuffled over slightly as Mudfoot pushed his way to the front. Her eyes nervously darted between Honeydrop and Flamestrike waiting for their reaction. He was one of the kit's fathers after all.

Waspstep had smelled strange cats on his way back to Shadowclan camp. Some of them smelled like warriors, while others smelled like rogues. He panicked slightly and hurried back to the camp, seeing familiar pelts of injured warriors. He felt relieved that they were safe then he saw the golden pelt of his sister. "Honeydrop!" The warrior said with relief clear in his voice. He wasn't losing anymore of his family.

The brown warrior rushed over to his sister, and nuzzled her slightly, showing emotion for the first time in a long time. "I'm so glad you are safe." The warrior sat down next to his sister that was collapsed on the ground. He wouldn't be leaving her side for a while. He didn't want her taken from him again, she was the only good family he had left.

Honeydrop gently set Redkit down on the marshy ground as Hazeflight and Flamestrike greeted each other. She felt a little left out as the two and Barkkit conversed, but she offered her half-brother a reassuring smile. A few moments later, her ears pricked at a familiar voice- one she never thought she'd hear again. "Waspstep!" she cried out joyfully, voice tired and hoarse, but happy, turning to face her brother as he ran towards her from the pine forest. At the welcome sight of his face, the medicine cat finally let her guard down, and warm tears started to fall from her pain-filled amber eyes. She closed her eyes tightly as he nuzzled her fur, enveloped in relief. "I'm s-so g-glad to s-s-see you," she purred shakily through her tears, voice breaking slightly. "A-After I was k-k-kidnapped, I th-thought-" The golden dappled she-cat let out a sob. "I n-never thought I'd s-s-see you a-again."

The ShadowClan medicine cat stayed like that for a few moments until her father's voice caught up with her. She opened her eyes slowly, not wanting to leave the comforting world of Waspstep's presence, to see Mudfoot standing over her. It was time to reenter the real world. Giving a slight sigh of resolve, she managed to sit up, leaning on her brother, until she could look into his eyes. "Th-these are W-Wolffang's kits, father," she responded, voice stiff and slightly cold. She still hadn't forgiven him for being her would-be murderer's mate. The she-cat nodded at Barkkit. "That on-one is the kit of B-Bear, the rogue who k-k-kidnapped me, and would have k-killed me if not for F-F-Flamestrike." StarClan, he's saved me twice now. She nudged the kit below her with her tail, glaring into Mudfoot's eyes. "This one is yours, M-Mudfoot. His n-name is Redkit, and he is yours and W-Wolffang's son. My half-brother."

Leopardstar had been laying atop the Jaggedrock, awaiting the return of his fighting force. Hopefully they would come back all in one piece. If this rogue was able to kidnap his medicine cat and kill a fully-grown warrior, he was probably a difficult adversary. Although he was none the wiser as to the events that went down at the battle, the spotted leader was pleased to see Honeydrop return with the patrol. She was a gentle soul and had probably been tormented greatly during her captivity. Before he moved, he noticed two small scraps of fur in their mouths. He could tell immediately that they were kits, and the fur on his spine rose. Strange kits were never a good sign. His perked ears turned to catch all of the exchanged words and a snarl began to cross his face.

Springing from his place on the Jaggedrock, Leopardstar approached the group with a grave look on his face and a faint hint of a growl on his voice. "I'm pleased to see you all back here, but I'm not pleased with what you've brought me. Tell me about the battle and then we'll discuss these."

Flamestrike winced slightly as cats ran over to greet them. He had been off in his own world when the voices broke into his head. Instinctively, he pulled the small kit towards him. The warrior was a bit surprised by his own level of care, but pushed it aside to listen to his clanmates speak. Everything felt wrong. His tail twitched in discomfort as he simply sat there and let Honeydrop explain things. It wasn't until Leopardstar approached that he truly snapped into reality. Leopardstar's tone caught his attention. There was a clear disdain. The leader wanted to hear about the battle. Since killing Bear, Flamestrike felt the desire to speak for the first time. He wanted to be the one to speak to the new leader. If his nephew's heritage was going to be an issue, they would have certainly have something more to talk about.

"I killed Bear," The orange tom meowed simply, meeting the leader's gaze evenly. Part of him hoped that this news would gain him some credibility in Leopardstar's eyes. But years of being look down upon by clanborn cats still stuck with him. He had proven himself to Thrushstripe eventually, but it looked like it was not enough for the new Shadowclan tom. Before any other cat could speak, he continued, "These kits are the offspring of Wolffang. One is Mudfoot's, and one is Bear's. Redkit is Shadowclan by blood. So is Barkkit. And he is my kin. We've brought them back to be with their clan and family." There was almost a challenge to the words, as if he dared the leopard spotted tom to question the decision. Flamestrike bit back everything else he had to say, and instead gave his leader a chance to respond.

"Oh..." Barkkit muttered as Hazeflight answered him about seeing Wolffang. The poor kit had no idea what had happened to her, but he knew one thing: he really wanted to see her again. However, as soon as he began to ponder on the thought of not being able to see his mother, more cats joined the group. One quickly went to Honeydrop and paid no mind to him, but the other... he was a different story. The speckled cat that leaped off of the tall and scary looking rock close by seemed to stare down the kit. At first, the small tom wanted to chime in and say something to him but his gut decided against it. Instead, he looked up nervously at Leopardstar, his wide green eyes focused hard on him as Flamestrike pulled him close and began to speak. Instead of listening, though, the small kit could only sit and look at the cats around him. So far, he wasn't liking all of this attention he seemed to be getting.

When he was finally put down, Redkit couldn't help but feel almost disgusted by how the soft earth felt underneath his paws. He wasn't used to the constant mud squishing underneath him but his attention was instantly taken away from it as they were surrounded by even more cats, one of which looked like a much bigger version of himself. The small kit gaped at Mudfoot, wondering why they looked alike. Maybe it was himself from the future? However, he quickly turned his attention to Leopardstar as he came down from the rock asking about the battle before he stared down the two kits. Instinctively, Redkit backed away from the large tom, accidentally b.umping into Honeydrop on his way back. As soon as he did so, he whirled around and glanced up at the medicine cat. "S-Sorry," he murmured.

Hazeflight smiled gently at the kit, before quickly dipping her head in greeting to Leopardstar. Her eyes narrowed at the disdain in his voice. They were his great great grandkids, so to speak. The silver she-cat flicked her attention back to the kits as they tried to comprehend what was happening.

Silently, Hazeflight padded up Flamestrike. The kits were just as much ShadowClan as she was and they were not leaving if she could help it. " Let them stay, Leopardstar. They're only kits and have done nothing wrong. They don't deserve the trouble they'll be given." she meowed firmly.

He would’ve gone over to greet Honeydrop and wanted to shower her in love for being safe, but after taking a step forward, he stopped. Not letting his gaze leave Honeydrop's, Mudfoot watched with a smile as Waspstep greeted the she-cat, and Mudfoot couldn't have been more proud of his son. So caring and loving towards his sister, just what he’d always wanted his kits to be like. Lost in thought, the tom looked down to the kits that stood before him and the clan when Honeydrop started to explain them. Unfortunately, what was said next was pretty unexpected.

The kit named Redkit, that was his? Mudfoot’s heart started to pound in his chest. Wolffang had kits? It was pretty obvious that Redkit was his, seeing that him and the younger cat looked almost exactly alike, but he still couldn’t believe it. Did that mean that his former mate was bearing kits when she got exiled?

Confused yet somewhat happy, the tom turned his gaze from Honeydrop to Redkit, and although he didn’t think this day would come (at least not like this), he couldn’t help but smile towards his supposed son. "Hello little one," he mewed softly to Redkit who seemed a little spooked by the sight of the leader. I hope all of this isn't too overwhelming for them. They must’ve been through so much with the rogues.

Leopardstar stared back at Flamestrike apathetically. He didn't understand how this particular kit was kin of the warrior, but he didn't particularly care either. So Redkit was offspring of Mudfoot and Wolffang, eh? Without responding to the ginger tom's challenge or Hazeflight's unwanted input, the leader bent his head to prod the little tomkit with his nose. He was a lot like Mudfoot. Perhaps he would end up being just as strong and loyal, despite his early upbringing. Leopardstar brought his head back up but kept his analytical gaze on Redkit, satisfied with what he saw. With the correct mentor, Redkit could prove himself a true warrior.

The spotted tomcat's eyes shifted to Barkkit. Still with a little bit of rogue-scent clinging to his downy kit-pelt. The same disgusting scent that had practically smothered Tigerflower's body when it was finally brought back to camp. The reminder of his daughter's violent murder brought a primal sense of rage rushing through his body, from the deepest part of his chest to the very tip of his tail. Although inside he wanted to put his claws into something, on the outside he remained calm and unfazed. Only his eyes narrowed slightly and his tail-tip flicked. He turned his attention elsewhere; he didn't need the constant reminder. He instead addressed Flamestrike and Honeydrop as well as the rest of the fighting force. "I commend you on your bravery and endurance through all that you've suffered. You've all done the forest a service. All of you get to the medicine cat den and get checked out; take the kits as well. Honeydrop, take care of yourself. You've been through a lot of pain and I'm glad to see you back in camp."