Long Time Travelers (OPEN / CLAN WIDE)

Feeling weak and ready to collapse and drift into a deep slumber, Tinystar trudged onward with the rest of SkyClan in tow behind him. Having been traveling for what seemed like moons to the little tom, the group of disheartened and weary travelers had finally made it to the clan territories after the Sharptooth and dog battles. Great StarClan, what a time. First the flood, dogs, Sharptooth, and then dogs again. StarClan sure had it out for the clans, but while lives were lost, they'd managed to persevere and make it back home, which the stubby legged leader couldn't have been more relieved about, though it wasn't all greener grass on the other side, for he'd lost the cat most dear to him and he didn't know if he'd ever get over it.

Head hung low and eyes sunken in, the group of SkyClanners passed the once strong scent markers that were now almost entirely washed away, but still somehow recognizable. Hearing the faint mews of chattering cats in the distance, Tinystar's ears were perked and he lifted his head. Other members of his clan were alive? Almost forgetting about the tiredness that clung to his stumpy legs, he picked up the pace and soon enough, bustling clanmates were in view, all of which seemed to be working on rebuilding the camp. Practically running forward, Tinystar skidded to a halt, his gaze snapping around. "Mintwhisker? Amberdawn?" he mewed, looking around the group of cats who'd begun to gather around the arriving travelers. For the most part, it looked like everyone was safe and sound and for a moment, it felt as if he was able to forget all about his sorrows.

With no dogs or Sharptooth to flee from, there was no longer a need for their group to run. Since Firflower had found him and Maplekit, Lightkit hadn't dared leave her side. Being separated from her during the battle had been scary, even with Maplekit at his back—perhaps especially with Maplekit at his back, bringing home the realization that he could do nothing to protect either of them—and when he’d finally, finally caught sight of his mother, had she not spotted him first, he would have sprinted toward her with the speed of LeopardClan. A small, irrational part of him never wanted to leave her again.

As they drew closer and the unfamiliar scent intensified, Lightkit wrinkled his nose, but didn’t protest as they continued on. Soon, they stopped—at least, Lightkit did, because Tinystar had bolted forward with no warning. The cream-furred kit hesitated, squinting at the scene (and the trees) now looming before him. Destroyed though it was, this messy, half-built place looked lived-in, as the cave had. Somehow, that made him trust it more. ”We’re…home?” Was this home? Were it not for the scents of other cats, so strong even he knew they had to be recent, it would have been as unremarkable as anything else Lightkit had seen in the last few sunrises. His guess was proven right as cats began to gather around them. Lightkit shrank back against Firflower, ears twitching nervously.

Maplekit plodded beside Lightkit, too tired to do otherwise, nearly bumping into him when they stopped. "Home?" Home was a word that meant forever away. Some place they'd eventually reach, but wouldn't actually ever be able to go to. But then... There they were, weren't they?

It had only been a few days since the Clans had returned to the forest, but it still didn't feel like home. Certainly it wasn't supposed to yet, but the hope was there only to be dashed. Amberdawn and Mintwhisker had been working tirelessly on retrieving herbs, moss, and water from the forest, caring for their Clanmates who were sick, wounded, or just tired from everything that had happened recently. The warriors and apprentices - the few that remained, since the flood had taken so many - had all been dutifully hunting, rebuilding dens, re-marking the borders, and working to try to make camp resemble the way it used to be.

Leafpaw hadn't been herself since they'd returned; really, she hadn't been the same since Amberdawn had first seen her on the lake shore carrying a dead RiverClan warrior with a heartbroken expression. The medicine cat apprentice couldn't blame her, but her heart ached for her friend. Tigerleaf had not returned from the lake, and it hadn't gone unnoticed. She had no time to go and comfort the apprentice, either. The she-cat was often nowhere in sight, or else staying close to her brother's side. She's staying busy. That's about as good for her as anything right now, Amberdawn thought sadly each time she was unable to find the she-cat around.

Today was not one of those days. All that remained of SkyClan was bustling in the clearing of camp today, building up walls with sticks or shaping the remaining foliage to grow securely in the future. Some were in and out collecting moss and filling out nests, while still others were carrying debris away from the sleeping spaces. The fresh-kill pile was meager, but everyone was trying. Amberdawn felt she couldn't have been prouder of her Clan, but she also knew how much was missing.

Even within the commotion of camp there was suddenly a disturbance, and Amberdawn immediately emerged from the sparsely-covered den that she and Mintwhisker had patched together to gaze hopefully into the clearing. SkyClan cats had arrived, but not the ones who were already in the forest simply out collecting moss and prey, if they could find it. No: These were the rest of their kin, and Tinystar sprinted in at the front, small legs thundering over the earth as he raced into camp and skidded to a stop.

"Mintwhisker?" Tinystar called, almost hopefully, "Amberdawn?"

"Tinystar!" Amberdawn cried, bounding across the gap to to his side. The golden tabby she-cat immediately crouched beside her small leader, nuzzling his head and cheeks and under his chin as affectionately as a kit. She purred a purr she almost couldn't stop, and after several long moments she paced back from her grandfather, eyes sparkling with tears as she mewed in a small voice, "Y-You're home, I'm so glad you're b-back... I've missed you so much."

Mistyrain dragged on behind Tinystar, exhausted from the long trek that was now behind them. They had faced so many trials, and she couldn't imagine what good StarClan could bring from them. She knew that SkyClan's former camp was near, but she couldn't imagine entering it without Amberdawn or Mintwhisker to greet them or many of their lost Clanmates bustling around camp. The thought of returning to camp with this diminished group of stragglers and trying to rebuild on their own was almost unbearable.

Still, she held a brave front for the sake of her Clanmates behind her. All hope was not lost. In fact, there remained quite a bit of it, and Mistyrain was holding onto it with every thought. Their time in the mountains had brought new kits, which meant that the Clan was growing again and would certainly be able to thrive. Her eyes on her paws, she trotted along, trying to keep the pace brisk but still reasonable considering how weak the meager group of SkyClanners was. As she traversed the increasingly familiar terrain, she didn't process how close they were to SkyClan's camp until Tinystar picked up the pace. Her ears perked, and she realized what had caught his attention. She trotted swiftly after him, eyes widening with joy as the camp came into view.

Amberdawn's familiar pelt greeted them, and Mistyrain made a beeline for her, stopping as she embraced Tinystar. "Amberdawn!" she purred, her voice bursting with joy. "I'm so glad to see you!" She looked around, pleased to spot several other Clanmates, presumed lost, coming towards them. For the first time since the flood had hit, she felt safe and relaxed. The camp was still in a sorry state, severely damaged by the floodwaters, but it was repairable and she could see that some work had already been done to restore it. She let out a sigh of relief, turning back to Amberdawn and Tinystar.

Foxpaw would rarely leave Leafpaw's side, but when he did, the she-cat would attempt to occupy herself with something else. This time it was a mouse, torn from the pitiful fresh-kill pile, damp and muddy. The apprentice had grabbed it with the intention of eating it, but found she couldn't bring herself to carry out the action. Her white paws prodded and rolled the small creature over the dirt, squishing into its soft flesh. Come on, eat it you mousebrain. Her brother, Foxpaw would have said something similar to the apprentice, lovingly of course.

Leafpaw watched as Amberdawn's golden form weaved around the camp. Both her and Mintwhisker had done a lot to help patch the camp's walls. Several other warriors were putting in their weight as well. Leafpaw had managed to drag a few sticks to the apprentices den earlier in the day, weaving them together with the help of her brother. The apprentice found she couldn't work for long, standing in the forest without Tigerleaf was almost painful. A warrior had told Leafpaw to take a break and get some food, so here she was. A long sigh escaped Leafpaw's maw as she bent down to take a ginger bite into her mouse, but a scent washed through the camp.

The brown and white tabby looked up apprehensively, but was shocked at what she saw. The missing cats from the mountains had returned home. Tinystar stood at the front, muddy and broken. Beside him, his son, Sunpaw. And on his back... Oh no no! Is that... Moonlight. The leader's mate. Dead.
Leafpaw felt a wave of empathy wash over her bones as she ran to Tinystar's side. She practically toppled him over from the force of her run. "Tinystar! You're here! You're home!" Her leader and mentor, safe from the water and flood. Amberdawn had padded to his side as well, nuzzling him.

When she stepped back, Leafpaw took her place, pressing her head into Tinystar's chest and letting out a sigh. "Your mate..." Leafpaw whispered, feeling as if she could soak up her leader's sorrow. "I'm sorry, I really am."

On the verge of tears now, the apprentice took a step back to gaze at all those who had returned. Kits were standing among the group, kits Leafpaw had never seen in her life. Oh Tinystar… where did the flood take SkyClan? Where have you been? The brown and white tabby's gaze fell to Sunpaw next, although he looked significantly taller from when she last saw him, he still was just as thin, and just as timid. His mother Moonlight hung over his back, her soul gone with StarClan. Leafpaw gingerly padded up to the white warrior, gazing sheepishly into his yellow eyes. She had been friends with the tom before the flood had torn them apart, and Leafpaw personally knew how cowardly Sunpaw could be. The death of his mother must have destroyed him, just as the death of Tigerleaf destroyed Leafpaw.

Maybe it was because Sunpaw's body was the closest in proximity, or maybe it was because they shared a similar tragedy. But Leafpaw rested her head on his chest, pressing harder with the weight of her emotions. Tears fell from her temples, tears she had been holding back for so long. They had dried out when she was with Foxpaw, but now, with a new face, they flowed again. "Sunpaw… we... we lost them. Tigerleaf. Moonlight. It hurts Sunpaw. I don't wanna feel this way." She pulled her head away from his white chest and looked up at his eyes. He was a good friend, and Leafpaw hoped he would stay her friend. "Does it hurt you too?"

Sandkit walked gingerly beside his siblings—Swallowkit, Maplekit, Lightkit, and Cypresskit—all the way to SkyClan territory. He didn't mind any territory they passed over the other, and he would have been just as content in a marsh as he was staring up at the tall trees they were now surrounded by. Their mother wasn't the most talkative cat, to say the least, so he resorted to nagging his clanmates with questions about what it was like in this mysterious place called "home." He figured out that SkyClan catches a lot of birds in the trees, and that the other clans don't do that. Apparently, that was why they couldn't be friends with each other!

He also figured out that RiverClan and ThunderClan fight a lot. He also learned the names of all the leaders: Jaystar, Finchstar, Leopardstar, Scorchstar, and their own Tinystar! Tinystar had funny legs, but they weren't allowed to make fun of him. He was important and kept the clan out of trouble. That was why SkyClan didn't get involved when Leopardstar and Jaystar squabbled, and why nobody was allowed to be in camp with them unless they were born there. Apparently, that was quite important too.

So much to learn! Sandkit has excitedly shared his findings with his siblings, but they seemed a little frightened by the changes around them. "Don't be so cross!" he said, kicking Lightkit's flank teasingly, "You're such a birdbrain! Don't you wanna climb all these trees with me?"

To say Sandkit startled him would be an understatement. At the kick, though it didn't hurt much, Lightkit jumped like a rabbit, relaxing into a faint glare only when he realized it had come from his brother. ”Not really,” he said, his tone a good deal more stern than a kitten currently pressing himself to his mother as if he could sink into her fur should be capable of. Imagining himself on one of those branches made his stomach do flips. Pressing his paws into the ground (softer than the unforgiving stone he was used to; another point in this place’s favor), Lightkit elaborated, ”They’re so big. And thin. Do you really think one of those”—he flicked his tail upward—”could hold us?” From down here, they looked strong enough to hold at least two kittens, but he wouldn’t be the one to point that out.

Maybe Sandkit had a point. It wasn’t as if SkyClan was dropping him here to fend for himself. If he really, really thought about it, the rocks scattered about between the trees almost reminded him of the caves... He had to at least give this territory a chance. Whatever made his older Clanmates so comfortable in it, he would surely learn to see in time. After a moment of hesitation, Lightkit tapped his shoulder against Sandkit's by way of apology; when he spoke again, his voice was softer. "It's not that bad, just new. When it stops being new, maybe I'll try climbing."

Fernpetal settled in the shadows cast from a large fallen branch, watched with venomous eyes as the lost cats came home, Tinystar in the lead as always.  It seemed her suspicions were correct...the leader hadn't pardoned Night for his heroic actions, if he had even noticed at all.  She knew it would never really happen, her imagination had just run away with her, but even still a wave of boiling anger burned in her stomach as she got to her paws.  Why do I still care?  It's no use, he's never going to be able to come back...even after all he's done for us, for all the Clans!  Just because he spoke up for what's right...just because Tinystar doesn't want to injure his oh-so-fragile pride.  Glaring at the leader, the brown tabby and white warrior lashed her tail and passed the returning patrol as she headed for the camp exit without a word.

Whipping his head around, Tinystar was sought out by Amberdawn, one his beloved medicine cats and family members. Returning the affection, he nuzzled the she-cat back, purrs erupting from his throat. "Great StarClan I'm so glad you're alright," he purred, trying to hold back any tears that wished to escape. Looking up to the she-cat as she step back, the little leader couldn't help but smile as all of his collective worries were washed away for the time being. I've missed you too," he mewed, but before he was able to say anything else, some-cat practically rammed into him.

Surprised by the sudden force that almost knocked him off his paws, the abnormally stout leader looked up to see his apprentice; Leafpaw, who was now bent down and had her head pressed against his his fluffy chest. It's alright," he mewed softly, though deep down he was anything but alright, but knew that he needed to keep his chin up... for his clan's sake.

Looking back to Amberdawn with a weak smile on his muzzle, Tinystar turned his gaze to the rest of the clan. "Do you know how many other cats we've lost?" he mewed to Amberdawn. He hated having to ask such a harrowing question so soon, but he needed to know and might as well have asked now then later.

~~~~~

Having been focused on his father being embraced by his clanmates, Sunflower's ears perked when a familiar scent washed over him and was pressed against his pelt. Looking down, Leafpaw had sought him out and the lengthy tom found himself relieved. One of his closest friends had made it, thank StarClan. Pushing against her weight so that he wouldn't fall over, the tom listened as she spoke. On the journey back home, he'd promised to himself that he wouldn't cry, but upon meeting her lemon yellow gaze, the once stoic warrior's eyes filled with the salty liquid in which he'd hoped to keep from showing.

Leaning down, he set Moonlight on the ground as gently as possible before resuming his position has a shoulder to cry on, literally.

"I-it does," the cream pelted tom mewed in reply, his entire body quivering, per usual. "B-but... they are in St-StarCl-Clan now and w-will always be watching o-over us," he added. His statement was obvious, for all cats knew what happened after death, but even so, it felt like the right thing to say, for he supposed it was better than saying nothing at all.

Glancing around, the abnormally tall tom watched as cats greeted each other with smiles and others tears; most likely a mix of joy and sorrow, or maybe both. While he'd lost his beloved mother, he knew that he was one of the lucky cats, seeing as though the majority of his family still lived. While the flood did a good amount of damage, it looked as though cats had already begun to rebuild it, which meant that hopes were high and things would most likely be alright.

"Al-Also, m-my name i-is Sunfl-flower now," he added sheepishly, his face as stoic as ever as he turned back to look at the she-cat. He wondered if she'd gotten her warrior name yet as well, but stayed quiet, not wanting to say too much.

Tinystar's response was immediate, his voice thick with emotion, "Great StarClan, I'm so glad you're alright." He nuzzled her back affectionately and then they separated. The medicine cat and the leader, grandfather and granddaughter, stared at each other for a moment, soaking in the presence of the kin they thought they'd lost forever. "I've missed you too," the white tom added. At that moment Leafpaw came flying in, launching herself at Tinystar. Amberdawn quickly turned her attention to her deputy, Mistyrain, who had greeted her joyously right after Tinystar. The young tabby wasted no time in stepping aside not only to greet the black-and-white she-cat but also to allow Tinystar room to recover from the apprentice's loving assault.

Amberdawn had stepped away from her Clanmate when she heard Leafpaw's soft voice murmur, "I'm sorry, I really am." The medicine cat apprentice half-asked, "What's wrong?" but as her dark amber eyes moved over the crowd of returned SkyClan cats, her heart sank as she immediately understood her answer.

"It's alright," Tinystar answered, his voice soft and flat. Amberdawn was staring at the limp, long-passed corpse of Moonlight resting atop Tinystar's son, Sunpaw's, shoulders. He had grown so tall already in their short time apart, yet he seemed so small under his own mother's body. The white tom was slowly setting her to the earth as Leafpaw made her way to his side. The medicine cat apprentice's face was dark with sadness as her friend leaned sorrowfully into the leader's son, beginning to weep lightly.

Amberdawn's attention was drawn away as Tinystar sought her gaze, then looked around the SkyClan camp - what was left of it. The leader asked, "Do you know how many other cats we've lost?"

The medicine cat apprentice blinked, somewhat startled by how soon he had approached the subject. As leader, he needs to know, she thought, and she looked around the camp behind her to see if Mintwhisker had arrived - maybe she could tell their leader instead. But Mintwhisker wasn't present, and so Amberdawn turned back to Tinystar and responded quietly, "Scorchbranch and Darkflower both passed. Alderpaw and Forestpaw as well. There are others we hadn't accounted for before now." Now the young medicine cat's gaze was looking over Tinystar, around him to examine who else had been missing that had been able to return. It seemed a whole litter of kits had made the journey...

... but the shadowy pelt of a former-Tribe and former-SkyClan cat was blatantly absent. Amberdawn hesitated for a moment. She searched again, harder, even turning to look for where Fernpetal must certainly be watching the interaction. Night of Stormy Gales was not in camp.

"Night...?" Amberdawn asked, her stomach knotting lightly. "H-He helped lead a patrol to the mountains, to come find the Clans in the mountains like StarClan told us. To help fight the battle they warned us about, to bring everyone back. Did you... see him? Did he find you? Was he there?" She was afraid to ask what she was really thinking: Why isn't he here now?

Sunpaw's words tangled in Leafpaw's fur, his breath was stuttering, and the apprentice looked up to his cowardly expression and smiled. Some things didn't change, even when flood waters tore their territory into little strips, friends would be friends. Sunflower. He spoke his warrior name into the wind, and Leafpaw took a couple of steps backward. "I'm proud of you, Sunflower." She wondered if she would ever stand by the white tom again as an equal. Perhaps Tinystar was too sad to perform any more warrior ceremonies. She wouldn't blame him.

The brown tabby shifted, and gazed upon the kits that now rolled about. She had not once seen their faces before, so much time had passed since the water... For a moment, Leafpaw wanted to pad over to them, ask their names, but now was not the time. It felt wrong almost, to find joy when so many were still missing. They would never feel the same joy of new kits in the camp, or of seeing a good friend once more.
Amberdawn's voice carried through the clearing, speaking to Tinystar where the apprentice once stood. She was sad, just as they all were. The golden tabby listed off the names of those lost, and Leafpaw felt as each and every syllable was like a claw to the heart. She remembered hunting with themt, sharing a den, even prey. And now they were gone. Could SkyClan ever recover?

Swanpaw mechanically helped with whatever she was told to do - moving sticks, helping weave dens, hunting - but her heart wasn't in it. Dirt and dust caked her paws, bits of leaf or stick stuck out of her fur, but she barely noticed. The place they had come back to wasn't what they had left, and she felt deep in her heart that it would never be. Every stick she wove through the new nursery reminded her of the cat she had witnessed die in the previous one. Every glance up at the Tallbranch brought a day of blood and unbearable coldness rushing back into her mind. It was the same place she had grown up in, but... not. And every day without her family, though there was still hope that they were alive somewhere, tore a new claw-scratch in her heart.

So it was she found herself wearily resting for a moment from the rigors of the day, her gaze jumping away from unfamiliar things and unconsciously seeking those that were familiar. Her eyes found Leafpaw, looking as empty and tired as she felt, and almost before a thought passed over her mind, she began to wander over. But just as her paws started carrying her towards her friend, a scent blew gently in on the breeze, and her eyes widened as she snapped her eyes over to the entrance of the camp. Is that.... Her heart rose within her as she spotted a familiar short tom pound into camp.

"Father!" she cried out, her paws changing direction as she began to run towards him, her heart - so empty and tired just a moment before - leaping for joy in her chest. Suddenly the world seemed brighter as she saw more familiar faces come through. "Sunpaw!"

Then another scent wound it's way into the camp, creeping insidiously across the distance between them and up her nose. The scent of death.

Confused, she stumbled to a halting stop, her eyes fixed upon a soft-pelted form lying across her brother's back. Memories of kind blue eyes purring down on her as a warm tongue lapped at her head flittered through her mind for a moment at the sight of the black-striped fur. Everything suddenly receded, the warmth of before freezing in her lungs as she stood rooted to the spot. "M-Mother...." The word came out in a breathless whimper, tears filling her eyes as others streamed around her to greet the newcomers. Her eyes saw none of them, every moment seemed frozen in time as she stood.

A terrible weight filled her chest, dragging her down until she was almost choked with it. A drop fell with a heavy plunk to the ground below, her hopes splashing down with it. Another day wound through the corridors of memory, a day when she had waited at the tunnel entrance, just a young kit, so hopeful. That day her father came back, his tail dragging as he carried a tiny, fragile bundle in his jaws. Just a kit. She remembered her mother pulling them behind her tail, comforting them with gentle licks even as grief was evident in every movement of her body, every beat of her heart. Blue eyes, a soft voice, always there for them.

She lifted her head - hardly aware she had even dropped it - as tears still clouded her vision. Leafpaw was there with her brother, she could see, the two comforting each other. Oh Mother.... Halting pawsteps moved forwards, though not towards the two, or the burden her brother carried. Her paws stumbled to the one cat she had always looked up to along with her mother, the cat she had still looked up to even when he ordered the murder of a young she-cat who had so much life left to live.

For just a moment, she stared at him, seeing the lines on his face, the worn look to his movements as he spoke with Amberdawn. Then she threw herself forwards, uncaring of what the others around her thought as she thrust her muzzle in his fur, silent tears soaking into his pelt as she breathed his scent in, unable to talk through the lump in her throat. Underneath all the dirt and strange scents he had picked up, he still smelled the same, he still smelled like the father she had always known, the scent reminding her of pine needles lit by the sun, of the wildness of the wind sighing through the trees on a cold leaf-fall's day.

The scent of home.

Listening as the she-cat spoke of the cats in which were lost due to the flood or the discord that came after, the little leader's heart sank. So many of his former friends and clanmate's lives had been taken in such a short amount of time... it didn't seem fair. Why would StarClan take the lives of so many cats after they'd been nothing but loyal to them? Whatever the deceased cats' reasons were, he'd figure it out later, but for now, he needed to focus on the reunion that sat in front of him.

Lost in thought, Tinystar snapped his gaze back up to Amberdawn as she spoke. She was curious about Nightstorm? This was the second cat who wondered about the tom in which he'd exiled, which didn't make him feel any better about what he'd done. Clearly, Nightstorm was a cherished tom and knowing that more than one cat was curious of his whereabouts made the little legged leader feel even more horrible about his heinous actions. For a moment, Tinystar found himself somewhat annoyed. Of course, he felt absolutely horrible that he'd exiled such a valuable warrior, but even through all that had happened, Amberdawn's thoughts were still on Nightstorm?

"Don't let them down like you let Night down... be a bigger star," Chirp's words rang through his head, immediately pushing the negative thoughts away. No, he couldn't be annoyed. Of course she was curious about how the warrior was doing, she had every right to be and he needed to be a good leader and respect that.

"N-no," he began, the heavy weight of guilt settling in his stomach. "I didn't see him," he mewed honestly, shaking his head back and forth. If he had, who knows what would've happened, so maybe it was best that they hadn't crossed paths...

Turning his attention to another familiar voice, he watched as Swanpaw stood appalled over her deceased mother's body. Before long, she'd stumbled towards him and upon bending down to his height and burying her face in his short pelt, began to weep. Oh how it pained him to see his children and clan in such a state of despair. If only there was something he could do about it, but alas, they really just needed time to grieve, for he wasn't going to bring the dead back, no matter what he said. "I need to do something," he mewed, turning his gaze back to Amberdawn before scooting away from Swanpaw's side, and making his way towards Tallbranch, knowing what had to be done.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Tallbranch for a clan meeting!" Tinystar mewed once atop Tallbranch. He hated to publicize such harrowing news, but he felt as though every cat deserved some sort of closure on which family members and clanmates they lost.

~~~~~

Looking back down to Leafpaw, the faintest of smiles grew onto Sunflower's muzzle. "T-thanks," he mewed. Before he was able to say anything else, his father called the clan to an impromptu meeting. Turning his gaze to the little leader who was now on top of Tallbranch, the tall warrior sat down where he was, not wanting to leave Moonlight or Leafpaw's side.

The question was out there, and the she-cat watched Tinystar's face, trying to hide her hope as her leader registered her questions. Amberdawn was afraid he might be angry, as he had shown no remorse for his actions before. He might even think she was a traitor for wondering about someone that he considered to be a traitor. She didn't want to risk it, but neither did she want to let it lie. The medicine cat apprentice had been worried when he volunteered to go up the mountain for a Clan she knew couldn't accept him, but in her heart she had hoped that maybe he and Tinystar's paths would cross - naively she'd daydreamed of Night proving his worth when Tiny was unable to see it, leading the Clan they all loved home after a successful battle. She still didn't know who the enemy was, but she hoped he hadn't fallen to it.

Tinystar answered after a moment, looking worn-down and weary, "N-No. I didn't see him." The tom's head shook from side to side, and the small hope Amberdawn had flickered out. Night would never again be a SkyClan cat.

The golden tabby had a million followup questions, but they would go unanswered. Tinystar hadn't seen Night. There would be no way for the tom to say if Night had arrived to the mountains, or if he had been in the battle.... if he had returned to the forest. Some part of Amberdawn wondered if he might have stayed up in the mountains - his ancestral home - with the Tribe rather than return to a forest that seemed to no longer want him. Where had he been after his exile, before the flood had swept through? Maybe he had returned there... Wherever he was, Amberdawn had no way of knowing. She dipped her head in acknowledgement of Tinystar's words, but she was certain he could see the disappointment on her face - if he was looking.

Instead, the leader had turned to his dead mate once again, blue eyes shadowed with grief. "I need to do something," Tinystar said with one last glance at his granddaughter. The medicine cat nodded and watched him step away, heading towards the Tallbranch. It had been so long since they'd had a Clan meeting, but hearing Tinystar's voice call the familiar summons gave Amberdawn a small bloom of peace. The fear of what he may tell, however, quickly took over, and she sat quietly to watch her leader speak.