[Newleaf Tears Topic] A Thousand First Steps

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Amberdawn stared at her collection of herbs, feeling frazzled as she pored over it and sorted leaves for the third time that morning. She had sorted it twice the previous night as well after making one final outing into the forest to try to find more herbs. She had revisited all the little patches of herbs that she'd been carefully manicuring since her herb patrol with Mosspaw, Leafpaw, and Dewpaw had found them and cleaned out all the sprouts that had grown. Her collection of herbs at the lake was more plentiful than ever, and she had even managed to find a big leaf that would fit all of them to bundle for the journey. We won't need these here at the lake anymore, and they won't help us on our journey if we leave them here, she justified. Besides, if they grew here once I'm sure they'll grow back again. The golden tabby prodded with delicate cream paws to see her collection of horsetail, comfrey root, marigold, daisy leaves, and even a bit of lamb's ear. That was a good assortment, she felt. It wasn't perfect, but it would see most cats through most problems.

The SkyClan cat let out a sigh and look at the sky; dawn had come a short time ago and the sun was slowly creeping up to peek over the trees. Soon all the Clan cats would begin the journey to return home. Amberdawn's stomach was in knots as she thought of the enormous responsibility she had been burdened with simply by having a dream. Her dark amber gaze had sought out the star the StarClan mentioned every night since then until she swore she knew its direction by heart even in the day. Time would tell if that was true. It was likely that they could follow the river most of the way, but...

Amberdawn's eyes glossed over as she became lost in thought, well-sorted herbs waiting patiently as her paws.

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Barleytuft had been awake since the first hints of dawn had begun to color the horizon. The warrior had found it hard to sleep that night, as had many, he was sure. Thoughts of returning home, lost friends and family, and the long journey still to come fluttered about like moths trapped in his head. They chased away sleep and, try as he might, he couldn't manage to find it again. Resigned to be useful if he couldn't be snoozing, the lean WindClan tom made the decision to do some early morning hunting to try to gather some fresh-kill for all the travelers, but his mate first of all. He had given Graybriar a gentle lick on her face before slipping from the nest and quickly out of the abandoned twoleg shed.

The creamy tabby tom tried his luck at hunting until the sun had begun to peer over the trees. He hadn't caught much, but what he had caught was surprisingly plump and large. He had been lucky enough to take down a magpie and had also found two decently sized mice. Barleytuft was particularly proud of the magpie, as he had never caught one before and was quick to admire its shimmering feathers. I bet Graybriar will like these, he thought. Something pretty like her...

He padded back into camp with his three pieces of prey held in his teeth, dropping them in the center clearing of the abandoned twoleg nest where a few other leftover pieces were laying. Barleytuft felt his stomach rumble but he knew his priorities. He grabbed one of the mice he had caught and padded back to the nest that he and Graybriar shared, setting the fresh-kill down before her and purring, "Good morning, Graybriar... I brought you this. We'll need to keep your strength up today. The weather looked beautiful when I was out hunting. It'll be a good day to travel."

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Lightstep had not slept at all. At first, he had been thrilled at the thought of returning home to the forest. Who knew who they might find there? Jaystar, Scorchclaw, Hailsong, Cinderpaw and Myrtlepaw... Flurryshine... As the night grew darker so did his thoughts. As he had every night since the Clan cats had been lead to this make-shift camp and shelter, he shared a nest with Sunpaw, his niece. Lightstep kept her close and did his best to keep an eye on her always. For several days now he hadn't left to go hunting. He was no good for hunting in his current state, and he knew it. He was hyper-aware of her every movement, constantly worrying that she was running off of borrowed time.

StarClan had spared Sunpaw's life despite how her hind end had been horrifically crushed by a boulder in the flood. Lightstep feared that any wrong movement on her part would sever whatever held her to life. He didn't want her to be in pain, and it seemed that she wasn't, but what if she started to feel it? What if she weren't killed but only wished to be? She was stubbornly determined, and Lightstep was sure she'd never want that, but in the lonely darkness of the night his mind ran away with him. Exhausted, but unable to sleep, Lightstep merely lay curled around his niece protectively, occasionally nuzzling her neck or licking her ear. He was all she had, and he had no intention of letting her down.

Morning couldn't come quickly enough; at the same time, however, it came too soon. The sun peeked over the horizon and Lightstep barely registered it as a beam shifted into his eyes. He squinted reflexively, wondering for a moment if he'd fallen asleep, but then his eyes adjusted and he turned his head to the rest of the darkness of the barn which had grown lighter as the morning went on. He rasped to no one in particular as cats began to wake and stir around him, "We're going home today."

He didn't feel the joy he'd felt yesterday. He felt almost nothing. He was just too tired.

Mosspaw woke as the sun started to peek above the horizon, pale rays reaching towards the rapidly lightening sky. Carefully getting up, she yawned, stretching as she stepped out of her makeshift nest. Reminding herself that it would be the last time she slept in it, she took a moment to look around at all of the surrounding cats. Taking a deep breath, she gently poked her parents and sister awake before she headed towards the fresh kill pile. Looking it over, she decided on a vole for herself. As she settled down next to it, thoughts of how Amberdawn was doing flit across her head, and she picked up her vole and selected a mouse, and made her way to the twoleg den that Amberdawn had been residing in. Padding up, her mouth full between the two pieces of prey, she gently set the mouse and vole down next to Amberdawn.

"How are you doing today? Do you need help getting anything ready? Take your pick of what you want to eat, I'll have the other. You need to keep your strength up." Mosspaw's mew was hushed, and she waited patiently while Amberdawn made her choice. Once she had, Mosspaw took the other and tucked into it, settling beside Amberdawn in silent comradery. After a bit of silence she spoke, her voice cutting through the quiet morning air even though it was close to a whisper. "You're really brave, Amberdawn. I hope someday I can be as brave as you. Do you really think we'll make it home?" She turned to the medicine cat, worry and hope mixing in her gaze as she thought of the endless possibilities the journey could hold for them all.

Exhaustion had finally caught up to Ravenpaw. In the nights since the meeting, he had slept both well and deeply. All the same, as light began its slow crawl across the shore, he rocketed out of his nest as if he’d been bitten, awakened by the sudden, electrifying realization that it was finally, finally time to return home. To the moor, to dry ground and sweet-smelling air, and, with any luck, to his mother. Though she’d been absent for so long that Brookclover had taken it upon herself to be his caretaker in addition to his mentor, Ravenpaw hadn’t quite given up hope. If an untrained kit without so much as a whiff of RiverClan in him had survived the flood, surely a full-grown warrior could do the same. Never mind that he knew some cats hadn’t been so lucky: He would see his mother, and he would see all the other Clanmates he hadn’t gotten around to meeting before they’d been separated.

Ravenpaw was very, very good at hoping.

He knew it was too early to be poking around camp, but he could barely manage to keep his mouth shut, much less sit still until it was time to leave. For once, he decided to channel his energy into something useful. How did one go about preparing for a grand journey? He pondered this as he padded into the open, stepping carefully over paws and tails. Outside, he made a beeline for the fresh-kill pile. After a moment or two of staring into it as if it could give him any advice, he fished out a tiny frog. Food was important on normal days; it was probably important on this one, too. Plus, eating meant he couldn’t be noisy. Two birds, one stone. He plopped himself down beside the pile, curling his fluffy tail around his paws, and got to work chewing.

Slowly and weakly, Fallowlight stepped out into a small patch of sunlight that happened to touch the ground in front of her. Her frail body was far from ready for any intensive labor, but the ginger and white she-cat wanted to do anything that she could to help her clan-mates and new-found friends. She spotted Amberdawn, gazing out blankly at the sky. The young medicine cat had done her best given the circumstances, and Fallowlight knew she had done a much better job than she ever would have if she'd been thrown into such a position. She wished she could have done more for her... but if she had, she might not have survived. Padding over to the young she-cat's side, she put on a smile as she laid her tail across her back comfortingly. "If there's anything I can do for you, just let me know, okay?" She flashed a quick smile towards Mosspaw as well, a young ThunderClan apprentice. Her blue gaze shifted to the sky, and she said a quick prayer to StarClan in her head.

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Ivypaw's eyes flickered open as the familiar sound of cats rustling around met her ears, and her silver tabby fur spiked up when she remembered what would be happening today. Whether she was ready for it or not, today they would be heading home. She got up slowly and stretched, being careful not to step on any of her surrounding camp-mates. She sniffed in an attempt to get the running of her nose to stop, which hardly did her any good in the long run. She looked around the makeshift camp, gazing at the cats that had already awoken. She decided to make her way towards Ravenpaw, who was eating what appeared to be a frog from where she was standing. She arrived at the freshkill pile, and immediately felt the urge to throw up whatever was left in her stomach from her last meal. She shook her head, settling down in front of Ravenpaw and smoothing out her fur. "Guess it's finally time, huh." She remarked, looking at the WindClan tom.

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As soon as her eyes opened, Dustcloud's head was filled with a tremendous pounding that slightly blurred her vision. She clenched her eyelids back shut tightly, knowing already that today would be extremely long for her and all of her new camp-mates. She exhaled deeply, slowly opening her eyes and letting them adjust to the sunlight. She slowly got to her paws, trying to avoid the dizziness that usually accompanied quick movements. She tried her best to ignore the popping of her joints as she moved around, trying to make sure that everyone was doing alright. The old she-cat laid down when her muscles started to ache, knowing she needed to save her strength for the long journey that they'd be facing later on that day.

The sun was slowly rising into the sky, lazily, like a cat on a dawn patrol. Flintfang felt like the whole world was moving just as slow. After Amberdawn's message three sunrises ago, the cats around the lake had begun preparations to leave, milling about the shore noisily. The gray tabby padded alone, watching as the SkyClan medicine cat and his daughter, Mosspaw pawed through a bundle of herbs. His green eyes traced the edges of her scars, wincing. While the calico's wounds had healed significantly, Flintfang still kept a close eye on his daughter, worrying of another attack. But seeing that she was busy, the young warrior padded off along the mud, searching for another familiar face. He had not talked much to Falconwing after the flood. Although the gray tabby was glad she was safe, he felt he needed to distance himself from her. For her own sake.

I'm a scoundrel... Flintfang thought, grimacing. He dug his claws into the sand and lashed his tail. Perhaps he didn't even want to return back to the forest. There, he would have to fall back into the ways of the warrior code. Flintfang would be bound by borders... Torn away from Burntstag and Littlesun, trapped in ThunderClan camp with a mate he didn't love, and daughters he didn't ask for. But with a longing glance back to the calico pelt that was crouched next to Amberdawn, Flintfang knew he loved his daughters. He would die for them, and yes, while he didn't specifically ask for their presence, he was glad they existed. Sighing, the gray tabby walked farther up the shore, wishing to find Littlesun. He knew of his sins, knew how his mind strayed, but decided not to fight it, and just let it happen. He wouldn't waste this time they had on the shore, away from the forest, and away from the code. Eventually, yes, the tom would have to return to ThunderClan, but moments like these would not be taken for granted.

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Amberdawn's news from three sunrises ago played in Leafpaw's head constantly. She had awoken early this morning, moss still clinging to her pelt. Today is the day!
The brown and white tabby had dreamed of Tigerleaf and Foxpaw, her wonderful family. She was hopeful that they were back at SkyClan camp, rebuilding, and awaiting her return. The apprentice's paws churned at the dirt, kneading it with excitement. She couldn't wait to see Tinystar again, and resume training. And perhaps Sunpaw as well, Leafpaw thought of his big ears as endearing. With a smile, the she-cat shook her dreams away, stretching out on the sand, her long fur shining in the rising sun.

All around her, cats of all clans were getting ready to leave. Some were cleaning out moss bedding, while others were sorting through herbs. She spotted a black pelt among the crowd, seemingly nibbling on something. Hmm... is that? Ravenpaw! Leafpaw remembered meeting the WindClan tom at Amberdawn's gathering. She had been very curious about the moor cats, and wished to learn more someday. Padding over to him, Leafpaw caught the slimy scent of water prey, but couldn't put her nose on what kind. "Hi there Ravenpaw! What are you eating?" The she-cat settled down next to the tom, wrapping her tail over her paws neatly. She wondered what Tinystar thought of WindClan, and then wondered if she should share his feelings. But with no Tinystar to give rules, Leafpaw saw no reason to be cautious. She began to pick through the fresh-kill pile next to Ravenpaw, hoping to find a sparrow, which was her favorite. But only a blackbird could be found. She would have to settle for that. Sinking her teeth into the springy meat, Leafpaw told herself that she would give the leftovers to Amberdawn, thinking she should feel a little guilty for hogging a whole bird to herself. I'll just share it! That will be okay, right?

The apprentice gave Ravenpaw a smile, a black feather stuck to her nose. "I'm very excited to go home today! I know the journey will be hard... but it will be good to see my family again! Who's your family?"

Falconwing's eyes opened at Mosspaw's prodding, and, noticing that her daughter was preoccupied, simply smiled instead of speaking. She glanced to her mate for a moment, turning her gaze away before long. Flintfang's been so... distant recently. I hope he's alright. Her tail twitched as she looked out over the horizon. Soon we'll be home. I'm sure it's just the stress getting to Flintfang. Everything will be right again... For a moment her thoughts flickered back to the kit she had failed to save, the dead bodies littering the beach. Shaking her head in an attempt to clear her mind, the lithe tabby padded towards Lilypaw, gently awakening her. "Lilypaw. We're leaving today. Make sure you have a full belly before we start travelling." She figured her daughter was as eager to get home as she was, and her tail flicked with anxiety. I hope we don't lose anyone else on the trip.

The golden tabby's head snapped towards the sound of an approaching cat, her dark eyes landing on Fallowlight, RiverClan's medicine cat. The poor she-cat had been wrought with illness since they had arrived at the shore and had only recently begun to recover from what ailed her. Amberdawn was grateful her fellow medicine cat was finally feeling better but it was clear that she was a long way from a full recovery. The RiverClan cat's fluffy cream tail brushed over Amberdawn's golden coat reassuringly as she murmured, "If there's anything I can do for you, just let me know, okay?" The SkyClan cat nodded once before noticing Fallowlight's soft smile in a different direction.

Amberdawn turned to see the familiar calico pelt of her new friend Mosspaw of ThunderClan. Immediately the thought flickered in Amberdawn's mind, I must put on a fresh poultice and bandage on her chest wounds before we leave; StarClan knows when I'll be able to do it properly again. The apprentice was approaching with fresh-kill in her teeth and a warm friendliness in her eyes. Though Amberdawn was distracted, she still smiled as Mosspaw approached and sat the prey down. The ThunderClan she-cat asked, "How are you doing today? Do you need help getting anything ready?"

Amberdawn smiled and gave Mosspaw an affectionate nudge when the younger she-cat stated the mouse was for her. "Everyone has to keep their strength up," the SkyClan medicine cat insisted, but nonetheless she gratefully pulled the vole towards herself with one delicate paw: her favourite fresh-kill. In response to her friend's first question, she responded, "Once everyone is up and ready we should try to distribute the lamb's ear and ragweed I've gathered. With the twolegs coming so close lately, I think we should try to get as far from this twolegplace as possible today."

Then the two companions settled into a peaceful silence that crackled with the hints of anticipation or, perhaps, simply waiting for the coming change. Amberdawn crunched quickly on her vole, doing her best to savor it and wondering how the prey in the forest was looking now. They'd find out soon enough, StarClan willing.

Mosspaw was first to cut through the silence again, speaking in a voice softer than a butterfly's wings that still managed to echo in the quiet clearing. "You're really brave, Amberdawn. I hope someday I can be as brave as you. Do you really think we'll make it home?" The SkyClan medicine cat chewed her final bites a little more slowly, mulling over Mosspaw's question, partly wasting time to try to defer from the unwarranted compliments she'd been given. Her gut reaction had been to deny the kind comment; after all, she wasn't brave, she was simply doing her job. StarClan had told her what to do. Whether she wanted to take the lead or not was no longer simply her choice. If it were, she'd be following instead. She didn't say so, however. Instead, she responded with a purr, gently nuzzling Mosspaw's cheek, "You've already been brave; maybe braver than me, if those scars on your chest have anything to say about you."

Amberdawn flicked her tail and answered the final question, turning her face to gaze over the horizon, "I believe that the path has been revealed to us and that home is waiting. We can only hope that we'll find our way. The Clans have been strong all my life... If we continue to stay strong, I'm sure we'll make it." Truthfully, Amberdawn wasn't certain. They had only drifted down with the flood for a day at most, but how long would it take all of them to walk? How could those that struggled to walk make the journey? There were plenty willing to help bear the load of their injured Clanmates and friends, but it would drag on them and make everyone slower. At least the seasons were in their favor; however long the journey took, they were near the beginning of new-leaf. They had some time to spare.

The sounds of twoleg sounds and barking in the distance made Amberdawn sit up straighter, a look of concern on her face. "It's a good thing that we're leaving today," the tabby remarked, certain that Mosspaw could hear what she was referring to. "I'm not sure how much longer we can stay here." Slowly the twolegs had been trickling closer and closer to the shoreline, reclaiming their old abandoned homes. That was one very big reason why the Clans needed to leave. Amberdawn simply hoped they were getting out in time.

Despite his determination to keep quiet lest he wake his sleeping Clanmates (shoremates?), Ravenpaw perked up when an unfamiliar she-cat settled by the fresh-kill pile; he’d embraced conversation on far darker days than this. In his haste to answer, he swallowed quite a bit of frog at once. It really was different from rabbit, especially with the skin. Honestly, he wasn’t sure why he’d expected them to taste alike. ”Thank the stars,” he said through a grimace. Then, brighter: ”It’s not bad here, but I think I’m ready to go home, you know? The shore’s kind of…small for me.” Though he had barely walked the territory WindClan called home, Ravenpaw was a moor cat at heart; more than anything, he needed space—and after hearing Mosspaw talk about raccoons, he hadn’t been too willing to find it outside the shore camp. ”My name’s Ravenpaw, by the way. Who are you?”

Another cat approached, this one familiar; upon recognizing her, Ravenpaw’s eyes brightened, and he forgot the frog entirely, getting to his paws so quickly he almost caught his own tail up in the motion. ”Leafpaw! Oh, uh…” When she sat, he did as well, quickly pawing the frog out of the way. ”I’m eating frog. It’s…something.” Maybe it would have tasted better if he’d been the one to catch it. Ravenpaw would reserve his judgment until then. Eyeing Leafpaw’s blackbird with no small amount of regret, he went on. ”Me too! Being able to run wherever is gonna be great!...I think. Besides, it can’t be that long a walk home, right?”

At the mention of family, the dark-furred tom stilled. Yes, he was hopeful, aggressively so at times, but that hadn’t been enough to drive away all of his worries. ”Just my mother,” he said, smiling to compensate for how his tone had sobered. ”She’s not here, either. But my mentor is, so it's all right.” Of course, the fact that she’d made herself his mentor after he’d reached the shore didn’t bear mentioning. She was still the closest thing he had to family at the moment. Ravenpaw was about to go on when he noticed a feather had wound up on Leafpaw’s nose; at that, he broke into a grin—a real one, free of his previous worries—and meowed with a clumsy wave of his paw, ”Good thing I went for the frog—you’re growing feathers!”

Graybriar awoke instantly at her mate's touch, grateful again for his presence. Every time she saw him, she thanked StarClan that a tom as amazing as him had chosen to care for her. If not for him... she'd be dead multiple times over. Though she still missed her Clan and family, she'd been growing used to the sense of small-group camaraderie that many of the cats here had, despite the few quarrels going around. However, she'd been stuck hobbling around the same area for so long that she was sick of it. Her instinctively WindClan drive urged her to get out, to run, to explore... things she couldn't do. But now, they were going home. Home. The thought of it sent a flutter through her heart. What would home look like, after the flood? Well, they would cross that tree when they came to it. For now, the real problem was finding their way back home- though she trusted StarClan to guide them through Amberdawn.

As the silver tabby opened her eyes, she saw Barleytuft there and smiled. She loved him... so much. That was one of the few truths left in her world now. Graybriar pressed her nose into his cream fur, breathing in his scent as if it were life itself. In a way, it was. When she saw that he'd caught prey for her, her gratitude increased. "Thank you, Barleytuft. I don't know what I'd do without you." She reached out a slender paw to take one of the mice, then began to eat it, savoring small mouthfuls with the little bit of appetite she had. Her body used most of the energy she gained by eating trying desperately to heal her leg, which was slowly improving. "You should eat too. I'm not the only one who'll have to walk, and if you plan on supporting me you'll want to be twice as strong. And it is a beautiful day... I hope to see WindClan and Briarpaw again soon."

While she took small bites of her mouse, thoughts bounced around in her head. While she was as eager as all the rest to return to the forest, she wasn't sure if she'd end up being able to make it. The journey was likely to be long and hard, and her energy was minimal. Not to mention her injured back leg made it difficult to walk and impossible to run. She didn't want to slow down the group and prevent anyone else from reaching home, especially her beloved mate Barleytuft... who she knew from experience wouldn't abandon her, no matter what. But what would happen if she got waylaid, and couldn't continue? How would she convince him to do the right thing and go home? If they were attacked by predators, or a rockslide, or something, he would be foolhardy enough to stay with her instead of escape. The thought of causing her mate's death haunted her, now more than ever. So even as she finished her prey, Graybriar resolved that at least one of them would be returning home... and if she didn't make it, Barleytuft would. No matter what it took.

It felt like moons since she had last seen the forest. Where the large canopy of leaves that had protected her all her life once embraced her in it's bushes and gentle dappled shadows. Not that she didn't enjoy her view of this new twolegplace... she wanted to stay and explore it. To see all the nooks and crannies and bury her head into all the mysteries. What were those things twolegs were carrying? What were they floating in? What were those massive monsters? At home though... home brought with it the promise of prey. Familiar territories that she was once felt were confining almost felt like they would be paradise.

Familiar enemies, familiar prey... but her clan. That had to be what she missed the most. She wanted to patrol with Beartooth, wanted to tease Pricklebush and Hailpaw. See her mother Blizzardshine and Streampaw. The distinctive gold pelt of Leopardstar, the shadowy one of Marshstorm behind him. To go to fourtrees, and see every cat in the clans. Her head turned to survey around. Catching glimpse of Flintfang, Falconwing and Lilypaw.

She padded over to them, settling down next to Flintfang.
"I miss home." She muttered. Home was far away... Starclan knew how far... but at least among her fellow ThunderClan cats. There was a little familiarity. She had grown up with these cats... and Night? Her gaze turned to the black tom encouragingly. Her tail flicked to invite him over as she relished the company of her clanmates.



'It's about time.' Grousepaw grumbled as he watched Amberdawn run around and give cats herbs for travelling. He licked his soft pale pelt clean of debris from the napping place he had chosen. He looked around for Brookclover, but instead caught sight of Ravenpaw. Looking further, he saw Graybriar and Barleytuft but his ears caught a bit of their conversation, he scrunched his muzzle and turned away. It wasn't like they'd notice him, really they should get a den.

He padded over to Ravenpaw with his head held high. Perplexed at the statement he walked into.
"He can't be growing feathers. That'd be very unproductive of him." Grousepaw meant for his voice to sound assertive, but it came out oddly questioning. Instead, he turned to Ravenpaw with an expectant look. "Who is this She-cat?" He paused, sniffing the air but unable to pinpoint a clan scent besides their own. Even that was nearly gone from the lack of home. They almost smelled like a completely new clan now. The thought sent shudders down his spine. 'She's not from our clan. Mother won't be happy if he gets too attached..' He thought warily as he sat down among the pair.

Mosspaw smiled slightly back to a cat that she recognized as having been confined to staying where the other sick and injured were, but she didn't know who exactly she was. She was very happy to see Fallowlight up and moving though, and murmured an apology. "I'm sorry, I can offer you some of my mouse if you're hungry, I didn't see you there..." She trailed off as she watched Amberdawn select the vole, and purred as she settled in beside her. Nodding in agreement, she waited to see if Fallowlight wanted any of the mouse before beginning to eat. "If you want, I can take some out to those that are already awake to help, I know that Falconwing and Flintfang are up, and I'm pretty sure I saw Leafpaw and Ravenpaw as well. I can deliver what you want out to them so you can focus on any of the others." She offered quietly, acutely aware of how her voice seemed to echo around them. The silence was beginning to set her on edge, it was almost too quiet. Others might have found it peaceful, but she found herself missing the sounds of crickets and frogs, and even the sound of the waves seemed particularly dull.

Picking at what remained of the mouse distractedly, she took comfort in Amberdawn's gesture and purred in return, shaking her head clear of the thoughts that had clouded them. "I just did what I knew I had to.... Flintfang.... He may not have been fond of us at first, but he still took Lilypaw and I in... I couldn't lose him... I've already lost one father, I couldn't lose another. I could tell when we first met him that he was surprised and upset about us being there, but all I've wanted to do was make him proud..." She trailed off as she turned to follow Amberdawn's gaze, and nodded in silence to her words, still staring off over the horizon. "We will stay strong... I know we will. Even if we need each other to lean on sometimes, we can make it home, together."

The calico apprentice jumped as the sound of barking and twolegs cut through the still air in the distance, and a look of panic flit across her expression. Without even realizing it, her fur stood on end and a deep fear reflected in her blue-green eyes as she looked in the direction the noises came from, then looked back to Amberdawn. Swallowing hard, she mewed in agreement. "Yes, we should get going... Sooner rather than later, probably...." Casting another glance off towards the direction the ominous noises had come from, she stood, shaking her pelt out as she tried to put her fears to rest. "I can take out those herbs for you, if you want me to, and get started on getting the others to eat them... That way we can start heading home." She looked to the medicine cat with a smile, although it didn't entirely mask the fear that pooled in her eyes.

Graybriar stirred immediately and for a breath Barleytuft found himself lost in her drowsy eyes, beautiful in their blue depths despite how she had been asleep only moments away. The slender she-cat smiled her beautiful smile and Barleytuft placed his head on top of hers, gladly accepting her affectionate nuzzles into his neck and chest. Graybriar, now much more awake, pulled back and spotted the prey he had brought. The she-cat sighed gratefully, "Thank you, Barleytuft. I don't know what I'd do without you." The creamy tabby tom dipped his head bashfully, glancing with his lovestruck dark hazel eyes at his mate as she began to eat. Between mouthfuls, Graybriar stated, "You should eat too. I'm not the only one who'll have to walk, and if you plan on supporting me you'll want to be twice as strong."

Barleytuft stood, gently brushing his face along Graybriar's neck as he rose, and responded reassuringly with a flick of his tail, "I'll eat soon, I promise." There was a decent pile of fresh-kill from yesterday's hunting patrols; the WindClan was sure sure there would be something left for him. Have to make sure all the queens, kits, and elders are fed. And our sick and injured, too. Graybriar continued, "And it is a beautiful day... I hope to see WindClan and Briarpaw again soon."

The tom touched his nose reassuringly to Graybriar's ear. Barleytuft replied, "We'll be home before you know it. Even if it takes all new-leaf and greenleaf too, StarClan said the forest is ready for us again. We'll see our family again," Barleytuft knew he could be wrong; Briarpaw could have been lost to the depths of the flood, swept to die and rot somewhere unknowable. However, he did not want to believe it. He refused to. He would have hope until he had proof, and he would try to help his mate do the same. Briarpaw may not be my son, Barleytuft thought, but he's one of the dearest things in the world to one of the dearest things to me. I pray StarClan has been watching him... I hope they bring him home safely for Graybriar.

While Graybriar thought of ensuring that Barleytuft got home, the tom himself thought of what he would be able to do to ensure that his mate had a comfortable journey. She was healing, even if it wasn't as quickly as the first time around, and she would be able to walk much more often. But what about hunt? Or fight? As much as the pair wished she could roam and maneuver freely, the fact was that she couldn't. Barleytuft needed to ensure she'd get plenty of opportunities to rest her leg or risk damaging it even further.

Sounds outside the twoleg nest made Barleytuft's ears perk up; barks echoed through the trees near the abandoned twolegplace in which the survivors resided. They were distant, but still too close for comfort. The twolegs had been coming closer for days. Barleytuft's tail-tip began to twitch uncomfortably at the thought of being trapped in the cramped twoleg nest trying to fight a dog. "The sooner we get going the better," Barleytuft agreed. Even closer to the twoleg nest the grasses rustled, and a feeling of unease began to grow in Barleytuft's stomach. His hazel eyes were dark with worry, and he pressed his muzzle to Graybriar's head before saying, "I'm going to peek outside the nest and see if anyone else is gathered in the clearing yet."

With only the barest hints of hesitation, the lean WindClan tom turned from his mate and made his way to the exit. Barleytuft entered the sunlight again and blinked, gazing nervously about the clearing. He looked at the strange forest of skinny trees and felt a sense of foreboding ripple through his stomach when the sounds of barking hit his ears, closer than before. The WindClan tom glared at the forest, daring something to move.

---

Amberdawn nodded once at Mosspaw's suggestion. It seemed that many of the warriors had already taken it upon themselves to go hunting for their Clanmates and fellow survivors, so the apprentices were likely to be stuck milling about camp until it was time to go. As usual the ThunderClan she-cat was first to offer to help with Amberdawn's medicine cat duties. She was grateful for her friend's help, and fortunately distributing the plants needed for travel would be easy enough for any apprentice to do. Just half a lamb's ear and one leaf of ragweed. She'd even already divided them up - she had had lots of time. More than she'd wanted or needed.

At her comment, Mosspaw seemed to relax a little at her words. Amberdawn was grateful to be able to comfort her friend if she couldn't comfort herself. Mosspaw replied softly, "I just did what I knew I had to..." Amberdawn listened without saying anything as the she-cat explained why it had been so important to defend Flintfang. Learning more about their relationship, the SkyClan cat understood more why Mosspaw was willing to risk her life; she just wanted to earn her place in her step-father's.

The she-cats' heartfelt moment was cut short by the interruption of the barking dogs. When at first Amberdawn commented on it, they had sounded far away, though still closer than she liked. However, by the time she and Mosspaw finished making their remarks, they had come much closer. Amberdawn could hear crashing in the forest, and with a sinking feeling in her heart she knew that the dogs had found them and were coming their way. "Y-Yeah," Amberdawn stammered absently. A bit more purposefully, she added, "Why don't you take these herbs and go on inside to give to those who are awake?" The golden tabby pushed the packet of carefully sorted lamb's ear and ragweed towards Mosspaw and said a bit more sharply than she intended, "Please, go inside quickly."

Too soon, the barking was too near and broke through the tree-line. Their barks made Amberdawn's golden fur spike up with fear as they quickly began to hone in on the cats in the hollow.

---

Slowly other cats began to move around Lightstep. Other cats were getting up to prepare for the journey that day. The smell of recent fresh-kill caught his attention, but when his stomach growled to display his hunger he only felt a numbness in its place. He knew he was hungry - he must be - and yet the thought of eating was somehow revolting. Trying to convince himself that he needed to eat anyways, the gaunt RiverClan warrior slunk out of the barn and into the sunlight towards the fresh-kill pile. His eyes watered in the blinding light of early morning, the sun peering over the trees and rising higher by the minute. For a moment Lightstep stood, seeing nothing, at the fresh-kill pile, before he was finally able to make out the individual pieces. Someone had brought back a big magpie, but that was far too much food for Sunpaw to eat herself and Lightstep felt a dark certainty that he wouldn't be able to eat much if he tried.

He picked up a fresh mouse instead, wishing it were a fish. Sunpaw would like that a lot better, and maybe even Lightstep would be able to stomach it then. The warrior turned to bring it back inside the twoleg nest when he heard barking drawing closer, and the sound of brushes and grasses thrashing. "Oh, no..." he muttered. The white RiverClan tom dropped his fresh-kill and turned just in time to see two large, lumbering shapes come galloping through the trees and into the clearing. Two massive, slobbering dogs, one with perked ears flattened against its skull and the other with ears and face flopping about madly. Only one thought could enter Lightstep's mind: I can't let them get to Sunpaw in the barn.

Lightstep yowled in a hoarse voice that cracked with terror, "Dogs! Everyone, look out!" The white tom knew it would be too much to hope that the dogs wouldn't catch the scent of several dozen Clan cats stuck in a small enclosure; they would need to be kept distracted far from the barn to minimize the damage. All his exhaustion was forgotten as he raced to battle a dog, letting out a battle cry.

---

Once their master caught up they might be in trouble, but once the two dogs caught the first scent of feline on the wind they immediately broke from their human to hunt it down. Cat was just irresistible, and - perhaps wisely - they often avoided the neighborhood in which the canines resided. Their human shouted after them before giving chase. That only made the game more exhilarating! They crashed through the forest, closer and closer to the pasture they'd used to run through during the cold season, and the scent of their prey only grew stronger. Their eyes grew wild with excitement, barks higher pitched, until at last they broke through the trees to discover their quarry sitting shocked and surprised in a sizable clearing. The darker of the dogs, with pointed ears, immediately spotted a tom and took a leap with a strange, strangled howl, while the paler dog went charging towards a smaller cat and swatted it like some little squeaky toy.

Dark Dog used Iron Bite on Flintfang, using 20 stamina and dealing 30 damage.

Dark Dog
150/150 HP
330/350 SP (-20)

Flintfang
15/45 HP (-30)
160/160 SP

Pale Dog used Heavy Blow on Ivypaw, using 20 stamina and dealing 25 damage. Ivypaw can no longer fight.

Pale Dog
150/150 HP
330/350 SP (-20)

Ivypaw [KO'ed]
0/20 HP (-25)
80/80 SP

This wasn’t a training session, but the way Grousepaw held himself reminded Ravenpaw of the one they’d shared. He offered Grousepaw a tentative smile intended to be an invitation, only for it to be overtaken by confusion a moment later. Tiling his head, he opened his mouth to ask Grousepaw just what he meant by “unproductive”—and two beasts, whose approach he'd failed to notice, broke through to the camp.

His first thought, which had been lurking in the back of his mind since his conversation with Mosspaw, was Are those raccoons? After all, they’d come from the trees. But as the beasts got closer, they got bigger and louder, every bark ripping through his ears, making his long fur stand on end, and before he could try to align this image with what Mosspaw had told him, an answer came in the form of a white-furred tom’s shout: ”Dogs!”

Then the dogs were upon them. The lighter one made a beeline for their little group and with no fanfare batted Ivypaw aside. Legs moving by themselves, Ravenpaw leapt out of the way; his startled yelp was lost in the din, barely audible to his own ears. These weren’t raccoons. Oh, these were so much worse than raccoons. If he’d been by himself, or even with Grousepaw, he might have fled; but Leafpaw was here, and Mosspaw somewhere in the chaos, and Brookclover. That was what settled it for him. Though he couldn’t keep his body from shaking, much less string a coherent thought together over the roar of his own heartbeat, Ravenpaw couldn’t bear to run, either. He’d survived the flood. He would survive this. With a cry that was equal parts fear and fury, Ravenpaw wheeled around and struck the dog using every ounce of strength he had.

Ravenpaw used Front Paw Strike on Pale Dog, dealing 6 damage and using 10 stamina.

Ravenpaw
20/20 HP
70/80 SP (-10)

Pale Dog
144/150 HP (-6)
330/350 SP

As the cats started gathering and getting ready to leave Coldgaze kept to herself, she wasn't nearly as excited as the rest of the cats here, sure she didn't want to be stuck here forever but what was there to get back to? The territories were most likely ruined by all the water and she wouldn't even go back to Riverclan, she'd go to Shadowclan, the muddy, dark and overall disgusting marshes. She sighed and looked around, she missed her family and now she wouldn't even get to go back and meet them... If they'd even survived.

Suddenly she heard the sound of dogs and were quickly on her feet, she looked at the dogs just as the pale dog knocked out Ivypaw, an apprentice from Riverclan. Within a few seconds, the she-cat was by the side of the dog, rearing up on her hind legs and clawing wildly at the beast.

Coldgaze used Rear-up to Slash on Pale Dog, dealing -11 HP and costing -15 SP

Coldgaze
45/45 HP
145/160 SP

Pale Dog
133/150 HP
330/350 SP

The barking that had broken the silence in the distance earlier was suddenly much, much closer. She had barely been listening to Amberdawn, too preoccupied with trying to keep track of the noises of brush breaking and hoping that it would turn before it reached them. But as Mosspaw bent her head to pick up the herbs to take inside, the two dogs came sprinting out of the woods. She watched with horror as a pale one headed straight for a group of apprentices, and she gasped as she recognized Leafpaw and Ravenpaw among them. Just as she straightened up to go help, she looked past them to locate the other dog and her stomach dropped. Her body locked underneath her as she watched the darker dog lock its jaws around Flintfang's scruff.

She turned to Amberdawn, tears welling up in her eyes, and shook her head. The words she wanted to say were stuck in her throat, but she hoped that the medicine cat would understand - she had to help. She bounded towards the dark dog that still grasped Flintfang and slid under it, slashing at its underbelly viciously, letting out a furious hiss as she stood on the other side of it.

Mosspaw used Belly Rake on Dark Dog, dealing 7 damage and costing 10 stamina.

Mosspaw
20/20 HP
70/80 SP

Dark Dog
143/150 HP
330/350 SP