"Family" Patrol (Closed)

Gingerpaw sat by the camp entrance as the light of dusk faded from the sky, turning clouds from pink to orange to gray. His tail swished from side to side across the muddy ground as he waited for his brother, mother and father to join him. His father, Flamestrike, was his role model. The greatest ShadowClan warrior he knew. Hopefully, Gingerpaw would be as good as him someday! His mother, Littlebrook, was the nicest cat he knew. He wouldn't want anyone else as his mother. He was so glad she and Flamestrike had fallen in love! His brother, Firepaw, was his best friend. They were so similar- they'd be great partners hunting together! The tom's emerald green eyes sparkled in the twilight as he waited for his family- the best family in ShadowClan.

Firepaw left the apprentice den after grooming his nest when he saw that the night was quickly approaching. The flame colored dappled cat walked to the entrance of the Shadowclan camp, where an orange cat similar to him was waiting. Waving his tail, friendly and excited because of the patrol. His days with Flamestrike as his mentor were great and he had been learning so much about hunting and tracking. Also, he had the chance to spend more time with his father, the greatest warrior in all the clan!
The tom ran to his brother and when he was close enough, he stopped and greeted him with a playfully pushing from his shoulder to his. "Hi, bro! How are you? Is your training going well?" He purred with a smile on his muzzle. Firepaw knew that Gingerpaw's mentor was Swiftclaw, an amazing warrior too so both of them were pretty lucky to have well-skilled cats as their tutors.

"Are you ready? Have you both eaten?" Flamestrike meowed as he padded over to his sons. The pair of orange colored toms made him smile; his young look alikes. So far, their training had been coming along well. He constantly swelled with pride as he looked down at them. Both were shaping up to be fine young warriors. Soon, they would be sleeping alongside him in the den. A usual soft smile worked its way onto his muzzle. As the past began to give way to a brighter future, his normal scowl had begun to fade away. Everything that had gone wrong for so long was being replaced with a perfect family that he never could have imagined. Starclan had blessed him with this one. The only thing that bothered him was the fact that Honeydrop could not be at their side.

"I guess we can hunt along the way, since its not technically a hunting patrol..." The tom mused as his green eyes glanced around for Littlebrook. They were just waiting for her before heading out. He considered grabbing something small from the fresh kill pile, but it wasn't a hunting patrol. The family would just check along the border patrols. Not only was it a way to practice, the family would also have time to be together again. Well... as much as they all could be. Flamestrike's tail tip twitched as he settled down, waiting for everyone to be ready.

Littlebrook padded out of the warrior's den a few moments after Flamestrike, a yawn escaping her. It was barely dusk and the camp was stirring quietly with cats doing their nightly duties. Tonight she, Flamestrike, Gingerpaw, and Firepaw would being patrolling the borders as a family. As much as they could be without Honeydrop. After stretching a bit, she made her way over to the little gathering of fiery pelts at the entrance to camp. "Sorry. I'm here." She purred warmly, a smile on her muzzle. "Have you guys gotten something to eat yet?" She questioned, not wanting to hear her sons complain of an empty belly when they were on their patrol. They grew sharper and stronger everyday, which brought them closer and closer to their warrior names. They were shaping into fine warriors, just like their father, and she couldn't have been prouder of them. Even though, technically, they weren't her kits by blood, they were still her kits, and the thought to treat them any differently never even crossed the old warriors mind. After giving Gingerpaw and Firepaw and affectionate lick between the ears, she turned to Flamestrike. "Ya ready?" She asked, tone bright with contentment.

Gingerpaw offered his brother a crooked grin as he bounced up beside him, giving him a friendly nudge in return to his own. "Training has been amazing. Swiftclaw's the greatest! Though I've gotta admit, I'm a little jealous that you got Dad as your mentor. No one can hold a claw to him. He's the best warrior that ever lived. I'm sure he's taught you loads!" The orange tabby's smile brightened as their father walked up, giving them the smile he reserved for the ones he loved. "Hey, Flamestrike!" His chest swelled up with pride as he looked at his father, emerald green eyes gazing into their lookalikes. "Yeah, I just ate. Have you had any fresh-kill yet, Firepaw?" He turned to his brother, head tilted to the side. He didn't notice when his mother walked up until she smoothed down the persistent tufts of fur on top of his head. "Ah, come on," he grumbled good-naturedly, but offering Littlebrook a smile anyways. He loved his family more than anything else in the world, though the warrior code was a close second. They were the cats Gingerpaw respected most, even more than Leopardstar and Magpiewing. He couldn't wait to go on patrol with them. Soon, he and Firepaw would be warriors, and then they could go out with their mother and father like this all the time. He couldn't wait!

The apprentice's smile grew wider as his family soon appeared around him. The tom was happy to have happy moments like that in his daily life and he couldn't ask for a better brother and parents. "Yes. I already ate a bird earlier so I'm ready to go." He said turning his head to his brother after he greeted his father and mentor with a nod. From the corner of his eyes, unlike his brother, Firepaw glanced at the she-cat that was approaching and giggled after seeing how Littlebrook licked the head of Gingerpaw like he was a kit before licking his. The young cat shook his head playfully looking at his mother with bright green eyes. "Mom! I'm not a kit anymore." He purred smiling to the she-cat. Then he looked at his while family, with his tail flicking impatiently. "I'm ready to go! And you seem ready too so what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Firepaw stood up and started walking to the outside of the camp making sure that the two warriors and the other apprentice were with him.

"Well let's not waste moonlight." Flamestrike meowed once they all appeared ready to go. Instantly, the tom took up the head of the patrol. Many moons ago, he would not have ever dared to do such a thing. But his family gave him confidence. And even if she wasn't actually been his mate, Littlebrook had become a good companion and friend. He felt comfortable with them. For once, the flame orange tom felt like his life was the one he was meant to be living. The demons that fought for control of his brain had been pushed away by the hope of he and Honeydrop's kits. A warm, slightly awkward, smile crossed his maw as he glanced back at the pair of young ginger toms. They had the opportunity to grow together as he and Bear never had. The two would always have each other's back. Be better than Bear and I were...

"Where should we go tonight?" He called back casually to the other warrior. The possibilities were endless. His paws itched to sprint straight towards the thunderpath. They knew the route better than any others. However, it was strange for a warrior to spend so much time in fourtrees. It would be frowned upon to pass that trait onto his apprentice and sons. No, these would be cats the clan could be proud of. Even if they were half rogue, both were quickly on their way to becoming excellent Shadowclan warriors. As he thought about it for the thousandth time, the orange warrior's mood brightened. His pawsteps became lighter as they traveled through the marshy territory. It was a good night; it was a good life.