Ferns from Night to Dawn

Amberdawn padded through the unfamiliar forest of tall, gangly trees towards the lake shore. Truth be told, the shore felt more and more familiar every day. She wasn't sure if that was comforting or concerning. On the one paw, it helped her to find herbs, moss, and cobwebs more easily by this point. On the other, it meant that she had been away from home for a long time... too long. The medicine cat apprentice missed Mintwhisker. She was lucky that Leafpaw, her best friend, was there and alive on the same shore, but Amberdawn had begun to grow lonely without her mentor and kin around. For the time being, the fact that Mintwhisker had kept a dark secret from her didn't matter so much. Amberdawn just wanted to curl up against Mintwhisker's thick fur and sleep harder than she had in maybe a quarter of a moon. However much she wanted that, though, and no matter how often she dreamed of it, Mintwhisker was nowhere to be found.

While she wanted Mintwhisker's company, Amberdawn also wanted the tabby she-cat's guidance. Two days ago her new friend Mosspaw had been brutally attacked by a raccoon while on patrol with her father. Even though Amberdawn had treated the wounds properly and they seemed to be healing well - well, as near as she could tell so near to the incident - she wished she could hear her mentor say so. The SkyClan medicine cat had done the best she could with what she had. She likely couldn't have done any better even with Mintwhisker present. At least with Mintwhisker, the injured cats wouldn't have to be left without a medicine cat whenever Amberdawn needed to leave to find more herbs, water, cobwebs, or moss.

Unfortunately, Mintwhisker wasn't there, but moss and fresh water still needed to be found for those who needed it. The SkyClan medicine cat apprentice would have loved to go on a patrol with her mentor... Instead of Mintwhisker, Amberdawn had been surprised and somewhat uncomfortable to have found herself asking Fernpetal, Mintwhisker's estranged sister. The she-cat had shown no love of StarClan or Mintwhisker, but Amberdawn had hoped dearly that the lives and well-being of the surviving Clan cats would be enough for the older she-cat to at least tolerate her. That seemed to be the case, luckily, as the older she-cat gruffly agreed to come.

Amberdawn and her reluctant companion walked towards a source of fresh water that the she-cat had found early on in their stay; it was some strange twoleg thing, a cold, hard post coming out of the ground from which water flowed gently but surely. The ground around it for fox-lengths had all become marsh, but still it poured clean water from some unseen source. Luckily moss was already growing rampant there as well and had only grown more swiftly as the weather stayed warm and the ground stayed damp. The collection of versatile foliage grew steadily every day - plenty enough for Amberdawn to keep coming back for more.

When the young golden she-cat broke through the barrier of trees to the clearing with the twoleg post, however, a strange but somehow... familiar scent caught her attention. A cat? Loner, or Clan? Amberdawn glanced at Fernpetal, asking hesitantly, "Do you smell that...?"

Wearing the dour expression of a particularly stubborn apprentice told to clean the elder's den, Fernpetal trudged after the young medicine cat apprentice, her sister's meek protege.  Murky green eyes fixed on the ground as she walked, the she-cat tried to contemplate how she had found herself in this annoying situation, but the answer didn't take long to discover.  I'm too helpful for my own good, that's what!  Why should I bother collecting water and moss for cats who don't even care about me?!  In the back of her mind though, the memory of a soft tabby face smiling as he waved farewell was still etched there, and with an amused snort, she too began a smile a bit.  Well...at least he'll be happy to see me.

Following Amberdawn at a slight distance, she rounded the last few trees until the odd water source came into sight, surrounded by muddy, mossy ground she didn't particularly want to get between her toes; before she could make any snipping remark though, her nose caught a scent.  A cat's scent, one that was unfamiliar to her and yet...strangely reminiscent of the past.  The medicine cat had seemed to catch wind of it as well, for once she spoke of the suspicious occurrence Fernpetal was already walking away, following the still fresh trail.  "I'll check it out, you start collecting the moss."  This was...strange, but not in a way that made her stomach churn or her teeth show.  More so...it felt as if she were chasing an elusive memory, a name, and place just on the tip of her tongue...

---

Emerging from the trees with two mice caught in his jaws, Night of Stormy Gales deposited them safely beside a bramble bush before trotting forward a few pawsteps, the moss and muck squishing underneath his paws as he bent down at lap at the fresh water with a relieved purr.  The weather was getting warmer by the day, and his dark pelt often contained quite a bit of heat, even in the shade.  Thus, the tom had made this small spring a frequent stop after his hunting forays, before returning to his make-shift den hidden a bit deeper in the woods.  Ever since the Clan cats on the shore had found each other, he had lingered just out of range, close enough to watch but far enough away to hide.  Every day he told himself that he should move, to go explore new lands and leave the clans behind...but he couldn't do it.  Ever since he had found Ridgelight stuck in that log, he knew that his resolve was slowly fading.  He wanted to go home; not just to the forest, but to the cats he loved.  Forestpaw, his only remaining daughter...Fernpetal, Firflower, Mintwhisker, Amberdawn, Mistyrain, Sagepaw...their distraught faces haunted him.  He supposed, in more simple terms, one would say that he was homesick, but the real question was if the home he was sick for was equally sick for him?

Once he had finished drinking with a relieved sigh, the black tom-cat licked his chest fur and was about to go about grooming his paws when, suddenly, the sound of pawsteps rang through the air close by.  Pricking his ears and opening his mouth, he quickly surmised that there were two cats approaching, she-cats...scents he recognized as SkyClan.  Without a moment of hesitation, Night leaped away into the shadows and began to make headway towards his den before realizing...

---

Huh...why would a sane cat leave two perfectly good mice laying around like this?  Having crossed the clearing, Fernpetal bent down to sniff the two tantalizing morsels, realizing quickly how freshly-caught they were.  The cat-sent on the fresh-kill was much stronger, but still, it seemed she wasn't able to place it, no matter how much it infuriated her.  Narrowing her eyes, she sniffed the air once again; the scent trail was growing stronger and stronger with every pawstep, the cat must still be pretty close by.  Flicking her tail, she hissed over her shoulder at Amberdawn - "He went this way, I'm going to track the scent." - before trotting off into the forest, nose lifted high as she swerved around bushes and fallen logs.  Jeez...who would ever want to live in such dense land?  Is it a ThunderClanner?  No...  With a low growl of frustration, she pushed through a patch of ferns onto an open path, likey used by Twolegs for who-knows-what, when she heard something.  The sound of paws, dashing towards her; quickly.  Acting on instinct, the nimble warrior leaped and grabbed hold of the nearest tree - a small birch - and scaled it, reaching the safest branch possible while still being able to watch the ground.  Is this the stranger, or something else?  No, it has to be him...yes, the scent is getting stronger!  She could tell he was running, clearly in a hurry; she smirked.  Just a bit closer...  There, she could see his back, a dark shape in the shaded forest.  Almost there...  In a few seconds, he would be underneath her, and then...GO!

With a hiss, Fernpetal launched herself down from the branch directly towards the tom, who didn't have time to even prick his ears before he was flattened by the weight of her body.  "Oof!"  What had caught him?  It had to be a cat, he would smell so otherwise...and as he lifted his nose from the dirt, he knew for sure.  That technique...  "U-Unhand me, I mean no harm!"  His throat was overstretched, making his voice sound gargled and raw, yet the she-cat pinning him down only tightened her grip.  "Heh, did you forget something back at the spring, intruder?  Thought so!"

Wait...that voice...

"...F-Fernpetal?!"  Both cat's bodies froze as Night spoke before he was forced to break it once again.  "Fernpetal, get off me, I can't breathe."  Without speaking, the brown and white tabby warrior quickly backed off, and Night slowly got back to his paws; his thinner physique was beginning to take a toll on him, it seemed.  That didn't matter now though; one of his best friends was standing right there, in front of him, looking as if she had seen a ghost.  Indeed, Fernpetal felt her jaw drop open as she finally put a name, a sweet, oh so familiar name, to the mysterious scent.  This...this couldn't be real!  Scanning his dirty pelt and hollowed eyes, despite the consequences of exile he looked the same as ever, with those bright, calm eyes and soft smile.  She took a hesitant step forward, neck lowered quizzically as she finally managed to force her voice to work again.  "...N-Nightstorm?  Oh...Oh my gosh, is it really you?!"  He nodded, eyes closing sincerely as he purred in an oddly low tone, but she didn't care.  "Yes...it's me."  With a small squeak of unrestrained joy, Fernpetal jumped forward and bumped her head against his, touching noses briefly before backing away, a broad sun-like smile on her face.  "I-How--What are you doing here?!  Did the flood sweep you away too?  I thought you had left Clan territory...oh, you don't know how glad I am to see you!"  Night watched, his smile slowly fading as tiny tears formed in the corners of Fernpetal's pretty eyes, her head pressed against his chest for a moment before he reluctantly pulled away, gazing down at her as she cocked her head in concern.  "What's wrong?"  He couldn't meet her gaze.  Looking down to the ground, Night felt himself lower into a sitting position as he heaved a great sigh.  Oh StarClan...this is the last thing I wanted to happen.

"...Nightstorm?"  He could sense her presence beside him, supporting him like they were still just clanmates, sharing a camp.  "If you're worried about Tinystar, he's not here.  He escaped the flood I'm pretty sure."  His former leader's name being spoken aloud sent the hairs along his spine rippling subconsciously as he shook his head slowly.  "...Well, what is it then?!  C'mon, you can tell me anything!  Don't you trust me?"  Clenching his eyes shut, the tom felt his claws sink into the ground as he tried to bite his tongue, not wanting to speak; in the end though, he couldn't hold it in.  "I didn't want to see you!"  It came out as a yell, which felt very strange to his vocal cords.  It had been a very long time since he had risen his voice like this...  "I didn't want to see you, or our clanmates, because both of us know that I can't go back!  Things will never be the same again between us...I'm dead in the eyes of the Clans, and I'm content with that.
It's the fate I've accepted..."  A long silence followed his words, so long, in fact, that Night finally opened his eyes just to make sure Fernpetal was still there.  Thankfully she was...but the look on her face hurt in the deepest reaches of his soul.  Her wide eyes, usually filled with sass and energy, were narrowed and sparkling with moisture.

"...AHHHHGGGG!  It's not fair!"  Rising to her paws, Nightstorm seemed to flinch back, wary of her sudden angry expression, but she didn't care.  Lashing out at a nearby bush, bits of leaf and bark caught on her paws as she growled, teeth gritted.  "You did nothing wrong, nothing!  My grandfather tossed you out just because you dared to speak out against the murder of an apprentice that's only about as guilty as I am!  That's why I hate being in SkyClan...no one wants to think on their own, they just want their leader and the stars to tell them what to do!  I'm sick of it!!"  Night watched, the corners of his mouth beginning to perk up; well, at least some cats knew the truth.  Fernpetal finally stopped assaulting the bush and turned to face him, breathing deeply.  "Y...You wanna trade places?"  For what felt like the first time in moons, Night laughed heartily, feeling something release inside of him.  He had missed this so much.  Fernpetal laughed too, just as hard as him, before they both quieted down.  "Look Nightstorm...I know you're not a clan cat anymore.  If that's the path you choose to take, I won't keep you locked down in a place that makes you unhappy.  You have to admit though...being in a bigger group, at least for now, would be much nicer than camping out in the boondocks like this."  She swept her tail around at the landscape, and Night nodded.  "Well, you do have a point."  "See?  C'mon, come back with me to camp.  I know it might be hard to see everyone again, but at least give yourself the chance for one more goodbye.  This time, it can be without Tinyheart breathing down your neck."  The dark-pelted tom smiled, thinking for a moment, before finally nodding.  "Okay...I submit.  From now on though, I ask that you call me Night."

"No problem, Night."

---

After about a minute of walking, Fernpetal finally caught sight of the spring clearing and dashed ahead a few paces.  "I went out to collect moss with Amberdawn, let me warn her first before you come charging in there with your exiled self."  With a wink and a nod from Night, the brown tabby molly passed through the trees and trotted back over to where the ginger tabby medicine cat was soaking clumps of moss.  "I'm back, and have caught the intruder!  I don't think he's very scary though; come on out!"  Flicking his ears, Night stepped out of the shadows cautiously, grabbing the two mice tails in his jaws before trotting over to join the two she-cats, offering the apprentice medicine cat a respectful nod as he placed one of the two mice down in front of her; a peace offering.  "It's great to see you again Amberdawn."  Smiling, his calm green eyes met her own amber, as he waited for a response.  As a high ranking cat close to Tinystar, it was valid to be cautious, and his stomach felt as if a butterfly had been trapped within.

The SkyClan warrior wasted no time in looking back to Amberdawn. The brown-and-white tabby she-cat was already padding towards the treeline, her eyes alert as she stated, "I'll check it out, you start collecting the moss." Amberdawn's ear flicked as she looked sadly after the warrior, wishing there was anything she could say to try to improve their relationship. Both of them had a job, though: Amberdawn's was to get moss and water, and Fernpetal's was to help guard her and - perhaps - carry some moss herself. The medicine cat certainly wasn't going to try to push that issue. Instead, the young golden tabby let the warrior do her job, turning herself towards the strange water source and beginning to pick her way through the muck towards it.

Amberdawn had just made it to the center patch with lush moss and gently trickling water when she heard Fernpetal hiss from the bushes, "He went this way, I'm going to track the scent." The medicine cat's heartbeat quickened slightly as she echoed softly, "He?" But the she-cat had already disappeared.

Fernpetal will handle it, Amberdawn thought, trying to reassure herself as much as anything else. And besides, she doesn't want me following her around and stepping on her toes to tell her how to do her job. With that, the young tabby turned her focus back to the collection of moss and began to search for some that would carry lots of water for the trek back. For several minutes she moved about in the clearing, scraping up the best selections as well as taking a drink from a puddle here and there. The constantly moving water meant that the deeper pools were often fresh.

She had begun to push her collection into the stream of running water when she heard a rustle as the edge of the trees. Immediately Amberdawn turned, her dark amber eyes falling on her Clanmate, Fernpetal. The she-cat trotted over, looking oddly satisfied. "I'm back, and have caught the intruder!" the warrior announced, adding, "I don't think he's very scary though; come on out!"

The last bit she aimed towards the trees, and Amberdawn lifted her head to gaze curiously, her posture edged with caution, at the figure that emerged from the shadows. For a moment the tom-cat simply looked like a shadow himself, only with cool green eyes set in the center of a dark face. He picked up two mice that Amberdawn hadn't seen before beginning to make his way towards the two SkyClan she-cats. The feeling of famliarity flickered in the medicine cat's mind again as the tom's scent grew stronger. Even his gait seemed familiar, along with the way he dipped his head deferentially and offered the prey to them.

Then he spoke, saying with a kind smile, "It's great to see you again Amberdawn."

Everything clicked, and Amberdawn's tail shot up. "Nightstorm?" she gasped, her voice choked with purrs. Immediately the young she-cat surged forward towards the dark tom and gently pushed her head under his chin, rubbing briefly on his neck and shoulders before stepping away from him again. "Oh, my stars, it's so good to see you! I-I can't believe you're here... Were you caught in the flood? You didn't leave the forest...?" The young tabby she-cat worked at the marshy ground, looking between Fernpetal and Nightstorm with a whirl of emotions in her gaze: amazement, relief, joy, guilt, and worry.

He had greeted her kindly, but she remembered that the last time she'd seen him at been at his exile during Sparrowpaw's execution. Amberdawn had been almost numb with grief over Sparrowpaw's death, but Nightstorm's dismissal from the Clan had hit her again days later and been festering. They'd never been friends, but they had certainly never been enemies. When the tom had spoken out against Tinystar's unreasonable decision to kill an apprentice he had earned a place of honor in Amberdawn's eyes. She regretted that she had done nothing, said nothing, and now she was faced with the possible consequences of her silence.

Nightstorm let out a surprised grunt as Amberdawn rushed forward to embrace him, cautious green eyes widening to the size of full moons, before quickly softening.  A deep purr rumbling from his throat, he returned the young medicine cat's welcoming nuzzles with some of his own, brushing cheeks and giving the shorter cat a fatherly sort of lick on the forehead before they both stepped away, his smile remaining as she let flabbergasted questions exit her mind.  Calmly he shook his head, deep voice ringing among the trees as he meowed; "I can hardly believe I am either.  Yes, I was caught in the flood on my trek to leave Clan land.  I was swept away from near the Abandoned Barn across WindClan territory, but luckily I managed to grab hold of an oak branch and rode it out."  For a moment, he gaze flashed towards Fernpetal, who had settled down a short distance away, her head tilting at his odd expression.  "I...I woke up next to the Clans, on the shore, but I walked away.  I couldn't bear the thought of having to face my clanmates after all that has happened...because we can no longer call each other family.  If that makes me a coward, I admit my wrongdoings, but Fernpetal helped me to see sense."  Dipping his head low, Night's voice remained strong, though the words hurt more than anything.  "Even if it won't benefit me, I would like to return to living among the clans, at least for now.  I can help hunt and patrol, and use the skills SkyClan taught me to benefit your mission. Once you - and all the clans - have returned home, I will part ways again, but it's the least I can do for the home that sheltered me for many moons."