Lemme Just Yeet Back Here Fam [Open]

The most difficult part of the journey was crossing the river, yet Salmonburn did it knowing it would be the last time he would ever be forced to. Helping Delta across, he lead the pair back to the ShadowClan territory. Excitement buzzed in his chest. He would finally see his father again. Finally, his paws stepped on ShadowClan territory. For the first time in such a long time, he felt like he was home. "Come on!" He called to Delta, taking off at a sprint for the camp. He couldn't get there fast enough, but soon he was bringing Delta into the ShadowClan camp. "Scorchstar!" he called, hardly waiting until his body was completely in camp. "I'm home! I brought my love!"[/color]

Hearing the sudden call from the entrance of camp belonging to a cat he didn't immediately recognize, Sans slipped out of the nursery where he was visiting his mate and kits. He narrowed his eyes, both good and blinded, at the two newcomers, but they widened in surprise when he instantly recognized one of them. Delta. The former SkyClan apprentice had been through quite a bit with him, from joining the now demolished StagClan to becoming exiles together. Seeing her again after so long was almost surreal.

As for the tom standing next to her.... He felt like he should have seen him before, but he couldn't quite place it. Nevertheless, he approached the two of them with an easy-going smile -- yet still keeping up his guard. He didn't want anything happening to his new family, the family he had been denied for countless moons up until now. Even if these two were possibly familiars, he still didn't want to take any chances. "Welcome to ShadowClan. Delta, it's good to see you're doing well." He dipped his head to the ginger cat. Turning back to the tom, he studied his facial features for only a few moments before it finally clicked. The kit whom Scorchstar had once saved from being crushed by a falling tree after the floods.... "Oh, Salmonkit! Or ... would you be a warrior at this point? It's great to see you, too."

Lynxscar was next to arrive. Unlike the rogue, he was not aware of these two newcomers... were they part of Shadowclan in the past? He wasn't aware of their faces or their scents. The scarred young warrior kept his distance, his green eyes narrowed while seeing these strangers come into his camp. "Excuse me, but who are you again? I don't think we have caught up each other's names." He mewed to the grey tom who just announced himself. The other cat was a pretty, scarred ginger she-cat with amber eyes. Was she part of Redwing's family, by any chance? And if she was... why wasn't she in Shadowclan? So many questions and all around these two new cats.

Flintkit had been sprawled out next to his mother, enjoying the warmth of her belly even if he looked bored as he lazily watched his father check on them - not being content to sleep just yet. It was peaceful and nice, to simply relax in the company of his family...But then there was an unfamiliar voice from outside calling for Scorchstar that drew San's attention and stirred his mother awake, causing the both to sit upright and hurry from the den. As his siblings slowly stirring awake, Flintkit scrambled from the nest after his parents poking his head out to see his parents facing off against two strange cats, both reeking scents very off from what he was used to.

Both Thornstar and Sans seemed to recognize them - each calling them a name, but one thing still bothered Flintkit - why had they called for Scorchstar? He had heard plenty of stories about his grandfather from both of his parents, of how he had perished protecting the Clans and other deeds he had done...But how did the stranger not know that he was dead? He pulled himself fully out of the nursery, padding up to his parents, coming to a stop underneath Thornstar's legs as he stared up at the tom with the same bored, uncaring expression he always wore. "Why did you call for Scorchstar? Don't you know that he's dead?" he meowed as if simply stating a fact...Not even thinking of how the tom would take the news.

Delta was relieved to say the least when she saw Sans fine in Shadowclan. She nodded. "You too." A young tom spoke- if she didn't know better, she'd think he was an apprentice, but he spoke with enough authority to be a warrior- probably newly named. And then,  a dark-pelted she-cat, who gave the air of a leader. She vaguely recognized her from a while ago, on the great rock... Was this Scorchstar? A kit spoke, surprisingly calmly. Scorchstar was dead. B-but then, who was this? The old deputy... what was her name? Thistle something... Thistlebriar? No, no - Thornbriar. So then, was this Thornstar then? Oh Starclan... Salmonburn had told her how he ended up in Riverclan. Scorchstar had adopted him or something, after Salmonburn nearly drowned as a kit, if she remembered right. So then... Delta pressed closer to her love, trying to silently comfort him. "My name is Delta, and this handsome tom is Salmonburn. We want to join Shadowclan because Riverclan would never let us in." She started, then glanced at Salmonburn. He looked... shocked. Shocked, sad, almost angry. She felt bad again about when she left her family for Stagclan. Was that how her siblings had felt? She tried her best to curl her tail around his comfortingly, but death was hard to deal with. How would he take it?

The bustle of the ShadowClan descended around the time and Delta and his head swirled from all of the questions. Finally, Thornbriar joined them outside. But where was Scorchstar. "Yeah, I'm Salmonburn now..." He mumbled, peeking around Thornbriar. He glanced down at the kit as he started to speak. Wait, what, dead? Salmonburn felt dizzy and he braced against Delta. How could Scorchstar be dead? A sense of... Anger coarsed through him. "Thornbriar, say sike right now!" His voice was louder than he meant to, but the shock was horrible.

The loud noises roused Sparkkit from her dreams. She sensed her father leaving the den, and the voices outside became a little quieter, so she assumed things would start calming down again. She wrapped her paws over her ears and nuzzled deeper into Thornstar’s thick fur.

Then she, too, rose up to her paws and left the den to investigate. Her peaceful rest having been disturbed, beginning to feel the chilliness of her mother’s absence, Sparkkit grumpily stalked outside to see whatever nonsense had taken away her chance at a quiet afternoon.

There were two cats she didn’t recognize, and immediately she knew that these two strangers didn’t belong here. No cat other than ShadowClan belongs here. Apparently, both her parents knew them, and the tom seemed to be looking for her deceased grandfather Scorchstar, whom she never got the pleasure to meet.

She stalked towards them, where she heard her brother Flintkit telling the strangers of Scorchstar’s passing, only for the tom to snap at their mother right after. This stroke a bit of ire within Sparkkit, and she narrowed her eyes angrily at the tom. ”Why do you even care? You aren’t ShadowClan. I have a hard time believing my grandfather cared too much about you anyway, rogue.”

She saw her father flinching from the corner of her eye. ”Sparkkit! Salmonburn was Scorchstar’s adopted son. He’s a friend to ShadowClan.”

”Then where was he when Scorchstar was getting mauled by foxes? Some son he is.”

"That's a good enough reason?" Having not known Scorchstar and Salmonburn's close relationship, Rowanpaw blurted out her opinion without a hint of remorse. Though she wasn't as strict or code-worshipping as the other cats in her clan, she was a clan cat. One didn't just hop between clans at a whim, the mere thought of a cat doing so, especially for what seemed like a rogue... That was wrong. Wasn't it?

"How can we trust he'll be loyal to us, if he left ShadowClan so easily the first time?" She murmured to Lynxscar, hoping the warrior could enlighten her as she frankly struggled to understand.

The large, scarred warrior looked at the two strangers as he was raising an invisible eyebrow. To be honest, he had to agree with Rowanpaw here. Was that enough of a reason to come and join Shadowclan? Just because another clan would not accept your relationship? It was odd of them to expect them to welcome them just like that. Being a Shadowclan cat took long moons of training and proving loyalty since you are a kit... but these two... Salmonburn was a Riverclan warrior, trained to be a Riverclan warrior. Sure, Riverclan and Shadowclan were allies but they were still different clans. Lynxscar just narrowed his green eyes, suspicious of the tom and unknown of what to feel about the she-cat, who, by her name, seemed to be a mere rogue.

Lynxscar lowered his head a little just to whisper a few words to the ginger she-cat by his side, so only Rowanpaw could hear. "It's true Shadowclan could benefit itself from a pair of extra hunting paws but yeah. There's no way we can trust a clan-hopper like him. First Shadowclan, then Riverclan and now back to Shadowclan... seems way too odd for me to believe it an "honest" move. We should keep our eyes and ears sharp around this tom, Rowanpaw."

Salmonburn's jaw dropped. What was in ShadowClan's water? Why were all of the kits being so rude? Shock still swirled in his head and before Delta or Thornbriar could speak again he narrowed his eyes at the kit he would soon learn to be Sparkkit. "Why was I gone, kit? Because Scorchstar traded me to RiverClan as a token of peace when StagClan rose. Apparently, I was born there. I walked these moors as an apprentice- I was nearly a warrior when I was forced to stay in RiverClan where I was miserable. I missed ShadowClan so much but did you want me to start a war?" His eyes scanned to Rowanpaw, twitching his tail. "Would you have liked to fight a war over me? I didn't have a choice in leaving ShadowClan." He looked to Lynxscar. "Got it? I didn't have a choice but I am choosing ShadowClan now that Jaystar is in power and Torrenstar doesn't want me and wouldn't start a war over me leaving." Salmonburn's tail flicked back and forth. He had never, in his life, spoken these many words in a row. He was never so angry before in his life. How dare they. He just couldn't stop. "I had never lived anywhere but by the lake shore and the marshes before I was traded to RiverClan. Scorchstar was my father. He raised me. He saved me. He loved me as his own. I would never go against his word, and you punish me for that?"

Flintkit was honestly surprised when he realized that his words had such an impact on the two strangers, head tilting in the slightest hint of his inner confusion. He had simply stated the truth and had figured that the two would realize it as such - he had heard stories of the many cats who had walked the marsh before them and had been taken away, those who his parents had known dearly...So why were they so...He struggled to come up with the right word, unaware of such strong feelings existing. He knew the word 'sad' but it didn't seem to fit them.

And then the tom, Salmonburn, lashed out at the gathered cats. Flintkit watched quietly from the safety of his mother's shadow, his heart sinking in his chest. He didn't blame his Clanmates for their words - the tom was a stranger to the most of them and the she-cat, Delta, seemed to be only known by Sans. It seemed reasonable but he also saw reason in the tom's words. He stood there, gaze flickering between Delta and Salmonburn as he started to knead the ground. Then his mother spoke, causing his gaze to shift up, even if he was only rewarded with the sight of her chin. Her sharp response to Sparkkit caused him to doubt his words even more, but it was short lived as he suddenly stumbled forward as his mom sat down, his tail being bumped by her belly.

He quickly backpadded, pressing himself into the little space his mother presented in her sitting-state, being forced to sit as well to make the most of it. Slowly, he picked back up kneading as he watched Salmonburn's expression. "I'm...Sorry," he chirped in the following silence, tail curling at his side as he glanced between the strangers. "It seems my words were...Misspoken?" He felt unsure if that was the right word he wanted. He felt confused, he didn't understand why his simple statement had gotten such a response when it was the simple truth but... "I...Yes, I am sorry," he finished, leaning his head on his mother's leg.

Clearly this was something he would have to figure out later...He just didn't get...Feelings, he supposed.

This was a tad too complicated for her, and frankly, Rowanpaw felt like she was missing a few pieces of the puzzle, but she dared not make a peep when the clearly larger warrior was so heated yelled at her. Without saying a word, she pressed into Lynxscar's fluffy body so that her face was hidden from Salmonburn's sight. She would accept whatever decree that Thornstar passed, after all, whilst she found a rogue and a former RiverClan warrior joining ShadowClan dubious, the code definitely said she should obey her leader. That one she was pretty certain of.

Delta didn't stop Salmonburn, but she wasn't about to let it go with nothing but yelling. After who she guessed was Thornstar finished, she stepped forward. "Thornstar... I don't fancy dishonesty. I left my Clan to abandon the Code in pursuit of a fake freedom, and I've since realised that the Clans and the Code are what matter. Salmonburn and I are willing to give up everything to join Shadowclan." Not that there was much to give up now.