A Less Than Triumphant Reunion

As Swanpaw walked, she lost track of what direction she had come from and what she had left behind.

She looked like a shell of her former self, the confidently arrogant apprentice who strived to be the best of the best replaced by a quiet cat, constantly depressed and far thinner than she had been before her disappearance, even despite the harsh leaf-bare.

In short, she was a pathetic imitation of the cat she was supposed to be.

Idly, she wondered how long it had really been. One moon? Two? Maybe even three?

The shell that was once a RiverClan cat walked on, wondering where she would find herself next.

The answer came suddenly, though she didn't notice it at first. Eventually her wandering led her into tall grass, and there was something familiar about its scent.

In her despondent state, it took her a few moments to realize what that familiar thing was.

RiverClan's scent! Somehow she had made her way back to her own territory!

She picked up the pace, a dull imitation of the sparkle that lit up her eyes whenever she was especially happy crossing her face for just a moment, but... She couldn't remember what way the camp was anymore. So she stopped in her tracks, waiting.

Waiting for what, she couldn't say. A sign, perhaps?

Snailbelly was out on patrol when he scented it. It smelled familiar, but it also smelled like rogue. He followed it to investigate what in the name of StarClan it was, curious. After a little bit of trekking, he caught sight of a very thin, very scrawny gray cat. She almost looked like...

"SWANPAW!"

Swanpaw's eyes lit up once more as she heard her name, and saw a familiar face. That was... Well, it looked like... Snailbelly!

'Snailbelly!' was not the exclamation that left her mouth, however. The first thought that came to her mind, and to first to come from her mouth, was an overjoyed, "Dad!"

She didn't really think before speaking at this point. There hadn't been anyone else to hear it for some time now. But as she heard the words that left her mouth, she held no regrets.

Snailbelly ran up to her, but immediately halted when she exclaimed 'Dad!'

"What?" he stared blankly, then shook his head. "So much has happened! ThunderClan fought us for Sunningrocks and- and- Ivystar took their medicine cat and a warrior hostage! It's crazy in RiverClan right now!" All of that came out in rapid succession, as if he had been holding this in for a while.

Swanpaw froze. What. ThunderClan, fighting RiverClan for Sunningrocks in the middle of leaf-bare? That didn't make any sense at all. But Ivystar had taken their medicine cat as well? And a warrior? She could gather that ThunderClan must have lost the battle, but... She found herself lost. And confused. Very much so.

Then again, none of this made sense to her right now. "Huh?" was all that escaped her.

But he was caught up in the excitement, spewing, "Quick! Everyone has to know you're alive! I can explain everything on the way."