a way back home [open - finchstar needed]

The gorse tunnel was where it had been half a moon ago. That was probably a foolish thing to be relieved about; exhausted as he was, Raventail wouldn’t judge himself for it. He had too many things on his mind already. Would they make their nests sheltered by gorse bushes or be forced to walk until their pawpads were cracked and bleeding and the moor was far behind them? Where did Finchstar-the-leader and Finchstar-the-cat diverge? Did they diverge at all? The only certainty was Dappleshine. Wherever they went, they would go together.

Looking back, his smile dimmed by nerves, he brushed his tail against Dappleshine’s shoulder. It was as much a reassurance for himself as he intended it to be for her. The time had come. Finchstar had asked his forgiveness once; now it was Raventail’s turn. ”It’s through here,” he meowed. ”Watch the thorns, they’re a nightmare to get out of long fur.” A moment's hesitance; then, hobbling slightly, he entered the tunnel. Waiting outside might have been proper, but he wasn't going to test their luck.

The tension in the air made it apparent that the moor’s predators were still on everyone’s minds. Despite that, cats talked, ate, and napped in the safety of the clearing, their pelts and the grass tinted gold by post-sunhigh light. Raventail blinked. Realizing he’d been standing more or less in the tunnel’s exit, he sidestepped so Dappleshine could join him, not daring to move deeper into the camp. He was here. He had made it back in one piece—both of them had. Though he still feared what WindClan might make of his return, he couldn’t help but relax at the familiar sights and scents and sounds.

The walk to WindClan's camp had been... quiet. The two cats padded side by side, Dappleshine occasionally reaching her tail towards the tom's flack as if to reassure herself that this wasn't a cruel dream, but he was there. Her tail never faded through him, and he never disappeared, and her paws still walked firmly on the moor she had spent so many days looking out over. A tunnel of gorse was just ahead now, with it the scent of many, many cats. So this must be it, she thought as she looked over it, a nervous pit yawning in her stomach. She had already made it this far, there was no turning back.... And if this was where Raventail was, this was where she would be as well... If they would accept her. The brushing of the black tail on her shoulder turned her gray head towards the tom, and she smiled slightly in return, taking comfort in his presence and gesture.

As long as Raventail was by her side, everything would be okay. Nodding, she waited for Raventail to lead the way before taking a few quick heartbeats to groom her chest fur, while it didn't do much overall to cut through the dirt and debris it helped the smallest bit. By the time she ducked into the tunnel, taking Raventail's warning to heart and keeping an eye on the thorns, Raventail was nimbly stepping out of the way. Emerging at his side, she immediately felt the eyes of WindClan's cats on her and her ears swiveled backwards nervously. Pressing to Raventail's side briefly, she cast her gaze around the camp, searching for any familiar faces. Barleytuft, perhaps, or even Finchstar himself....

She remained quiet, her heart fluttering in her chest. This was it, this was happening, and right now.

Tail out straight; tail in close; tail to left and--no, to the left! Cloverpaw let out a tiny hiss of frustration. His tail wasn't cooperating. He could feel himself wobbling to the wrong side, like the end of his tail didn't want to go the direction he was telling it. The silver tabby was about to find his way to Aspenheart to give another update about his observations of his tail as it healed when he saw a black figure enter the clearing of camp. It had been only half a moon; he recognized that tom anywhere. "Raventail!" Cloverpaw yowled, the significance of his stubborn tail immediately disappearing under the realization that the missing deputy was standing in their camp once again.

Cloverpaw raced forward to greet him, but he slowed when he realized that his Clanmate had brought someone else with him. The young tom stared with a questioning expression a few tail-lengths away, but still he asked hopefully, "You're back?"

"He's back!" Barleytuft cried with delight. The senior warrior came bounding from the medicine den; for the moment, a fresh poultice let him forget the tenderness near his foreleg on his chest as he raced with a high tail towards his friend - no, friends, for Dappleshine was there too. It took significant effort not too smile wide as a kit; his wounds on his face were still much too delicate, but he could hardly contain his joy. Barleytuft approached them both and gave Raventail a meaningful bump between their foreheads before turning to Dappleshine and offering his early warriorhood friend a gentle lick to her shoulder. "I'm so glad you're safe. I-I was worried about you, Raventail."

The acting deputy stepped back, his hazel eyes beginning to scan each of them as he called out over his shoulder, "Finchstar! Raventail's home, and he's brought a friend with him!" Come to think of it, what was Dappleshine doing there? He'd seen her at the Gathering, hadn't he? She looked weary and ragged - they both did. She was a friend, no doubt, whatever brought her here, especially if Raventail had guided her.

Mistystripe stepped out of the medicine den to find Raventail, her sister's former mentor and the Clan deputy. There was a strange cat with him, although she looked vaguely familiar. Was that not the cat from the gathering? The one that was actually bold enough to reprimand Torrentstar in front of every cat there? Oh, stars, what was her name? No matter, she would soon find out.

"Raventail? Is that really you?" She smiled at the tom. She had no malice towards him. She, too, had had urges to leave, back when StagClan had taken over ShadowClan. Although she knew back then their desires were to pure to be true, which she had been right, they had murdered the ShadowClan deputy after all, she could not fault Raventail for searching for his own path. She respected him for it, actually. He was honest, and he fulfilled his wishes without causing harm. And in the end, he had returned.

"Finchstar will be delighted to see you. And who is your friend?" She looked to Dappleshine, offering a warm smile to her as she had Raventail. "You both look exhausted. You should rest."

“Oh, thank StarClan. Now I can shred his fox-hearted raven-coloured pelt.” A large silver and white tom padded towards the three cats near the camp entrance. The tom’s green eyes glittered with rage as his newly healed wounds stung, urging him to be still, to not move so much, but he hardly listened. Instead his ears flattened as he stared down Raventail as thought he was a hawk that tried to steal his kill.

He gaze turned to Dappleshine. The gray fluffy she-cat was one he had seen at gatherings. So Raventail was more useless than he thought. His scowl deepened, rage simmering beneath the surface that he fought so hard to control. In the end, he lunged. His body slamming into Raventail’s without warning or preamble to pin him to the ground.
“You left WindClan. When we Needed you. With foxes killing apprentices, we need every warrior. You were our deputy and you abandoned us. For nothing but your own selfish gain.” He snarled, his green glare fixing on Dappleshine for a moment, before falling back to Raventail’s as he stepped off of the tom.

His pelt smoothed. Rage satisfied with the simple truth spat at the tom that dared to return after leaving the clan. He couldn’t allow it anymore reign, it was useless and would accomplish nothing. Instead, his hostile glare returned with final words to shred his victim.
“If you step a paw near my mate or daughter, you’ll answer to me. You won’t hurt Goldengale that way again.”

The gorse tunnel rustled and Finchstar blinked once more, yellow eyes flashing in the sun. His tongue ran rhythmically over his pelt, smoothing out stray furs as the golden light lit the moor. Leaf-fall brought with it a chill, a cold wind that grasped the leader's heart and threw it into the wind. His thoughts seemed to dance with uncertainty. While hope had been found, the wispiness of it left him wishing for Brookclover once more. It was days like these where he found he missed her most, a tug on his soul as he groomed himself as she used to do. It had been long since her death, yet grief was as strange as the wind itself. Raventail, gone. Foxes, poisoned. WindClan had planted their deathberries, leaving the rabbits in front of the beast's tunnels. No more blood had been shed. While it was a quiet victory, it was a sound one. Life had become smoother. Finchstar would gaze at the clouds and sigh with all the memories in his head. He lived in a beautiful world, and such were those around him.

The gorse tunnel rustled, and this time, Finchstar lifted his eyes from his fur. A black tom stood there, accompanied by a she-cat Finchstar had meant long before. His mind did the running before his paws. And his maw opened before he could even stand. "Raventail!" The tom gasped, heart as light as a feather. The sun shifted and fell into his eyes, little flares of the light flashing between their vagabond deputy, and the adventures he carried. Cloverpaw had joined the fray, Barleytuft with a voice of excitement. Mistystripe soon followed, tail high. The ryegrass swished with the wind and Grousefrost was running. Yet the warrior's demeanor was one of anger, he tackled the black tom to the ground, pinning him against the grass as he spat about efficiency and loyalty.

It rang in Finchstar's ears, and yet all he could do was watch the face of his long lost friend as it was framed by the grass, a beautiful thing indeed. Grousefrost stepped off the tom, spitting words of anger. The rift had formed once again, but stars be dammed if he'd let it tear away Raventail. There was no exchange between them as their morals clashed, only the breeze whistled in the silence. And then Raventail found his paws. Finchstar tore his gaze from Grousefrost, instead opting to bury it into Raventail's shoulder. "You've come home, Raventail. You're home." He chuckled for a moment, breath muffled by black fur. And then the leader's gaze meant Dappleshine's, giving the she-cat a nod. "If there was ever a cat to follow the wind such as Raventail does, let it be you. It is so very good to see you again, Dappleshine." Finchstar nudged Raventail's ear, tail flicking at Grousefrost. "If you ever found yourself missing the moor grass, now you've had your fill. It seems some warriors were more eager to reintroduce you to our soil then others." He lowered his voice, eyes glazing over in joy. "Do not be discouraged by his behavior, cat. I am happy beyond words at your return, please, share some prey, tell us your stories. I have missed you dearly."

Neither he nor Dappleshine had announced their arrival, but the camp was anything but abandoned. Before long, Raventail heard a voice calling his name. Then Cloverpaw came sprinting over, stopping some tail-lengths away. For a frantic heartbeat, Raventail tried to identify the silver tabby’s expression. Not angry; uncertain. Hopeful. Maybe he still had a place here after all. ”I’m back,” he confirmed, easing into a grin at last. That was when Barleytuft appeared (still injured, Raventail noted; still healing, anyway), crossing the clearing even faster than his son had and bumping his forehead against Raventail’s. Raventail returned the gesture with a brief purr, then stepped back. Of course Barleytuft had worried… He probably hadn’t been the only one. ”Barleytuft, I’m sorry—“

By then, Barleytuft was calling out for Finchstar, and other cats were emerging to see the source of the commotion. Mistystripe was the next to approach, no less friendly than Cloverpaw and Barleytuft. She smelled faintly of…herbs? On top of that, she’d come from the medicine den, yet he couldn’t see any wounds. Strange as that was, Raventail didn’t have time to ask. ”Oh, Mistystripe!” Delighted to see me? Once again, with a twinge of guilt, he wondered how worried Finchstar, everyone, might have been. ”That’s—that’s good to hear,” he said, and gave Dappleshine a gentle nudge with his nose. So far, everyone seemed as welcoming to her as they were to him. ”This is Dappleshine.” Was he meant to introduce her as a former RiverClan warrior? His mate? His best friend? They were all equally correct; it occurred to him that he'd never considered the specifics of that.

A growl rose from the back of the crowd. Raventail turned and promptly went cold to the tips of his ears. He knew Grousefrost well enough to recognize when he was angry—but this went beyond anger, beyond the irritation he’d seen the first night Grousefrost had taught him how to tunnel. There was no time to react. Grousefrost threw him to the dirt and pinned him down. Lacking the strength and the will to fight back, Raventail went limp, fear bright in his narrowed eyes as he stared up at his old denmate. Every word from Grousefrost’s mouth struck true—how could they not? Raventail could be rabbit-brained, he’d be the first to admit it, but he had seen his mistake for what it was before he’d taken a single step homeward. Only when Grousefrost looked toward Dappleshine did he struggle. It wasn’t enough.

Suddenly, Grousefrost’s weight was gone. Raventail leapt to his feet, nearly colliding with the gorse at his back before he regained his balance. He shook out his fur. Nothing more. Starting a fight would do him no favors, and, honestly…he was tired.

A cat pressed their head into his shoulder. A lanky frame, ginger and white fur. In the end, it was their voice that sent realization ringing though Raventail’s head. ”You’ve come home, Raventail. You’re home.” Next, Finchstar addressed Dappleshine; that was the only part of the sentence Raventail could discern through the surge of emotion in his chest. He’d been so afraid of this. It seemed impossible that things would be so simple, yet of all the words Finchstar said to greet him, not a single one sounded like “exile.”

For a long moment, Raventail could only stare at his leader. His friend. One and the same, the way they'd always been. When he found his voice, it was hesitant. ”Hey, it’s not too bad. Better camouflage next time I go out, right?” His ears lowered. ”…I missed you, too. And everyone.” The small tom, never smaller than he felt now, glanced around at the crowd of cats. All cats he had known before he’d left; all breathing, however battered they were. They were lucky. For that matter, so was he.

”I know,” he said, wincing at his own admission, ”I made a mistake. I’m sorry it took me this long to figure that out.” You’re home, his mind echoed. As much as Finchstar seemed to ramble, everything he said meant something. Had that been acceptance? ”But I also know that I—I want to stay. For good. I want to tell you those stories and fight the foxes with you. I want to fix this, if there's any way I can, no matter what I have to do or how long it takes.” Though he’d gone quiet to match Finchstar, Raventail could hear the plain disbelief in his voice—and the equally plain, slightly desperate hope beside it. Dappleshine's steady form next to him kept him stable, kept him from saying, Please, give me another chance. Let me be a warrior, at least out loud. She was here. Whatever the answer was, that would remain so.

Aspenheart tumbled into the clearing at the sound of a familiar hiss. Something was breaking out in the middle of camp! With a huff of effort, he pushed through the crowding cats just in time to see Grousefrost step off of Raventail while his clanmates watched in stunned silence. Aspenheart joined them with mouths agape and allowed Finchstar to address his deputy. As the two toms spoke, their voices felt muffled. His eyes shifted to Grousefrost. He came to understand a simple truth: his angry was justified. 

Aspenheart was not allowed to be biased, and for one, he didn't want to be. Raventail would be accepted back, even if he did abscond and technically betray the clan that took him in. It was a weakness of Finchstar's, that unbridled love. Not everyone would be happy. Not everyone's love in this moment was constructive. Grousefrost's family was threatened. His threats were a symbol of his loyalty to Goldengale. The quickness of his conclusion startled even him, who was known for deduction. Rights, wrongs, pros, cons. He struggled with who to side with. He didn't have enough time to wrap his head around this ever-evolving puzzle. It was a nagging fly for his nest, then. 

In the meantime, a friend of WindClan was home. "Have you gotten it out of your system, then, Raventail?" he teased, purring a simple greeting. "It's good to see you safe and scarless. Mistystripe should be able to handle any little bumps or bruises in the meantime." One cat down, another left to go. 

Wobbling to where Grousefrost stood, still somewhat steaming, Aspenheart said no words and gently laid his tail across the silver tom's back. They locked eyes, and he nodded sadly.

It wasn't long at all before WindClan took note of the two cats in their home. The first to approach were the young tom apprentice she had seen before, and Barleytuft. The older tom approached swiftly, delighted to see Raventail again. Her shoulders relaxed, ears coming forward as concern washed over her as she took in his numerous injuries. Were those from the beasts she had heard mention of?...

She smiled as Barleytuft licked her shoulder, and touched her nose ever so lightly on the top of his head, seemingly one of the few stops not laced with wounds. "It's good to see you, Barleytuft. There's a lot to explain..." She purred, trailing off as he called for Finchstar. Another pretty gray she-cat approached, looking very similar to Cloverpaw. Returning the warm smile with one of her own, tired ones, she introduced herself quietly. "Hello, I'm Dappleshine. What's your name?"

A sudden growl made the fur along Dappleshine's pelt stand on end, and in an instant Raventail was no longer at her side, instead he was pinned to the ground a tail-length away. Shock filled her expression as this new tom hissed inches from Raventail's face, and when he turned to fix his glare on her she looked back at him with an unwavering gaze. Just as she prepared to take a step towards him to stand over Raventail the tom stepped off, his fur flattening. Anger still rolled in waves off of him, but he seemed to be done... For now. His words stung, but she could see the truth in them. A pang of sorrow lanced her heart as she thought of what her dearest friend, her mate, would have to prove to win their trust back... It would be the same if she were to try to return to RiverClan now.

As Raventail rose, Dappleshine moved to his side to support him, pressing against him briefly. Finchstar came then, his gaze welcoming and she stood back as he approached Raventail, burying his face in his shoulder. Her fur started to lay flat again as she watched the scene unfold, and then he turned his gaze to hers and she felt like her heart stopped. The nod and his words weren't harsh though, instead they were as welcoming ad he had been to Raventail. "Thank you, Finchstar, it is good to see you again as well." She mewed quietly, hope flickering in her chest. Maybe things would be alright, the two of them would have a long, hard road before them, but they would be okay.

Raventail faced the gathered cats and began to speak, admitting his mistake and confirming that he would do whatever it took to make things right again. The cat she had seen with the other medicine cats at the Gatherings called out a simple, reading greeting before heading towards the angry tom, and for the time being Dappleshine remained quiet. She knew she would have to explain her reason for being here, but Raventail had to explain his first, and get his answer. Brushing her tail to his in silent comfort and solidarity, she waited for the answer that would be coming, no matter what it was.

---

A tall, somewhat lean figure sat poised outside of the nursery, blue eyes piercing through the gathering crowd of cats. Crowkit was tucked safely within, the commotion had immediately brought Goldengale into a panic, fearing that the foxes had finally made their strike on their camp. The call of a voice though, her own father's, saying a name she had convinced herself she'd never hear again had brought her to the entrance. Her eyes landed on the black tom, taking in his white chin and long, tussled fur.

It was certainly Raventail. She wasn't sure how to feel about it, there was the joy that he had returned and was safe, and also the feelings of bitter betrayal. Grousefrost sprinted towards her old mentor, and she could just make out his final words. Padding forward to stand next to her mate after he withdrew from Raventail, she pressed against him lightly, giving his shoulder a quick lick. She'd let him explain himself, she didn't know where he had gone or why, but perhaps he had a good enough reason..

The look on his face wasn't very convincing of that though.

The sound of a fast-approaching storm of a cat made Barleytuft's head turn. Indeed, Grousefrost came stalking fast, his face lit with a fury that the senior warrior didn't think he'd ever seen. The pale tabby tom took a step back, having a suspicion that what was about to come couldn't be prevented, like a dark cloud about to burst, and he'd gained himself enough scars recently. Sure enough, the young, scarred silver warrior exploded forward with a bitter snarl of rage. Barleytuft's muscles tensed, and though he flinched slightly forward as if to lunge and intervene, he held his ground and watched the scene unfold. This is not my grievance to deny. Grousefrost spat his bitter words before glaring at Dappleshine and then stepping off of his victim and away.

Cloverpaw's ears shot back when Grousefrost appeared spitting venom, and the apprentice hunkered down ever so slightly as the gray warrior body-checked their returned Clanmate and threw him on the ground. He turned his wide, startled gaze first from Barleytuft to Finchstar, shocked that neither of them seemed to be stepping forward. Not like I want to, either. The older toms seemed to know how far Grousefrost would go anyways; the younger warrior removed himself from Raventail of his own accord.

Even Grousefrost's cold words as he backed away stung, but they didn't sting nearly so bad as the fact that the words were true. Barleytuft had had the same thoughts in the times when he wasn't simply worried about his friend. Cloverpaw, too, had had them since the moment he learned from Dappleshine that the deputy had left.

Raventail slowly worked himself to his paws, and Barleytuft became aware that his leader - their friend - had arrived. Finchstar came forward to greet him, nuzzling Raventail like the lost companion that he was. Still... Grousefrost's attack had shaken Barleytuft. Finchstar joked to make light of it, and the senior warrior snorted despite the discomfort of the situation. He watched Finchstar greet Dappleshine as well, and then looked to Raventail again. It seemed that only Grousefrost felt strongly enough about Raventail's return to deny him a warm greeting.

Even Aspenheart seemed indifferent to Raventail's return, though he did hold some snark in his own greeting. When the medicine cat had moved away he went towards Grousefrost, and Barleytuft turned his face back to Raventail as he explained his absence vaguely, apologizing for leaving. Barleytuft's tail lashed slightly, and he asked simply, "Raventail, where did you go? Why?" And yet, the meaning was deeper as he stared imploringly into his friend's glimmering amber eyes: Why did you leave me? Leave us? Please just tell me something worthy - something so I can't blame you.

As Barleytuft addressed Raventail, Cloverpaw looked questioningly to Dappleshine. "So you're... here now, um, that's new," the silver apprentice commented, clearing his throat awkwardly. He wasn't sure what she must be feeling; she and Raventail were clearly close, their pelts pressed together. He didn't know what to make of that, truthfully.

Raventail's voice remained solemn as his head lifted from Finchstar's, offering a deep apology that tugged at the leader's heart-strings. The tom sighed, blinking the water from his eyes as other shadows converged around them. Grousefrost had stalked off, angry. But he was replaced by Aspenheart, who now rested his tail on the silver tom's shoulder. Finchstar gave the two a woeful glance, feeling like a lost kit in a strange fashion. Free to act on his own desires, and yet terribly lacking control of the consequences. Dappleshine returned the leader's greeting, however the silence that hung after Raventail's apology was as sweet as honey. Finchstar placed his paw on the black tom's, looking deep into his yellow eyes. "There is nothing to fix between us, Raventail. I have forgiven you a thousand times over, as I know what it is like to walk in your paws. But WindClan does not consist of only me, there are others who will ask for your loyalty. It will be a long path, but it doesn't need to be a lonely one. I am beside you, cat, always." Finchstar smiled, nodding his head, gazing down at Raventail's paws in a bittersweet manner.

Barleytuft's voice broke through their bubble, asking for Raventail's reasoning on leaving. Finchstar knew all to well the feeling. He had an idea of the wind that tugged on Raventail's heart, but wished too, to hear the answer from the black tom's own maw. It was a story of sorts, beautiful in its mannerisms. Cloverpaw followed close behind his father, padding to Dappleshine. The leader remembered their first meeting at the gorge, where they learned of Raventail's fate. Strange how life now brought them together. Finchstar stared at the two wanderers, whiskers twitching at the lack of space between their pelts. It was felt rather then seen, the secrets they carried together. "Oh, the adventures you have seen..." Finchstar purred to Raventail.

The leader wondered if the black tom would pursue his former deputyship, or if it was the responsibility itself that drove him away. But they had made light in the darkness. They needn't put it out now with talk of ranks and ceremonies. Tonight, tonight would be more fitting. It was the presence of Raventail that filled Finchstar's heart, not his status. The road would be long, yes, but they would not walk alone.

Raventail returned Aspenheart’s welcome with a quick purr of his own and a smile that promptly faded as the gray tabby turned to join Grousefrost. Mistystripe, handling bumps and bruises? Understanding at last, he glanced toward her. So Aspenheart had decided to take on an apprentice. Honestly, the timing couldn’t have been better. It added weight to a bittersweet truth Raventail had already been aware of: life in WindClan really had continued on while he’d been gone. As much as he’d worried about the foxes, he’d managed to forget the brighter things. Had any apprentices gotten their full names, had any kits become ‘paws? Was the nursery fuller? What else had he missed in the last moon?

By the time he squashed those questions, someone else had appeared at Grousefrost’s side, leaning against him ever so slightly. Her expression was difficult to read; with Grousefrost’s words lodged in his mind and the cat himself almost certainly watching, Raventail didn’t try to unravel it. Besides, he could guess. ”You won’t hurt Goldengale that way again.” The tides had begun to turn. He’d known it wouldn’t be all smiles and glad-you’re-backs, but—but he’d hoped.

Being sorry was enough to get him through the gorse tunnel, nothing more. If he was to stay, he would have to prove that to them over and over, a moon, a season, maybe forever. As Finchstar’s paw settled over Raventail’s, Raventail knew how it would end. Daunting though it was to face WindClan here, his back stinging from where he’d hit the ground and Grousefrost still visible from the corner of his eye, not even knowing how long this path would be, he’d fought harder battles. Until the moment they stopped giving him chances, he would dig his claws into each and every one.

It shouldn’t have been surprising, having Finchstar offer to stand by him. He knew Finchstar too well for that. ”Thank you,” Raventail said in lieu of everything he couldn’t quite find the words for, and set his chin on Finchstar’s shoulder as high as he could reach.

When he pulled back, it was to see a question raw and open in Barleytuft’s eyes. Raventail couldn’t meet them head-on; his gaze instead settled somewhere near the wounds on Barleytuft’s lip. Though he knew they were from before he’d left, there was no comfort in the sight. ”There’s a barn,” he said quietly, ”not too far from our borders. That’s where I went. Didn’t want to go too far, you know?” It was beyond his ability to twist his reasons into something respectable. He’d run away. That was the end of it. On a sigh, he began: ”I panicked. After everything. I needed to clear my head, figure out what I was doing, how to do it right. The barn just…seemed like a good place for that.” Ears flattening, he finally swung his gaze up toward Barleytuft’s, then away to Dappleshine as Cloverpaw approached her.

Finchstar was watching both of them now. Gathering his resolve again, Raventail wound his tail around Dappleshine’s, careful and quick and not at all bothering to hide it. The circumstances that had led her to Outlook Rock were a mystery to him, but by how she had looked when he’d first seen her, how she still looked, they couldn’t be pleasant. She was as lost as he had been. It was her story to tell, his turn to stand at her side, and at the end of it, they would more than likely have a place to rest their aching paws here. It had been a long day. A long half moon, really.

As each cat greeted Raventail, Grousefrost’s blue eyes narrowed in distaste. When Finchstar openly welcomed him, he growled in disagreement. Stepping forward during Raventail’s story about some ridiculous structure called a ‘barn’.
“Didn’t want to go too far? You went beyond our borders. ” He growled, then glared at Finchstar. “You can’t seriously just welcome him back! This cat’s cowardice may cost us more lives if he decides to galavant back off to his barn!”

Grousefrost turned to glare coldly at Raventail directly.
“You should be an apprentice for your actions. Fortunately for you it seems Finchstar’s favor is blinding.” The last sentence was spoken in a snarl as he turned and padded away from the returning tom. Hackles and pelt raised in fury as he stormed off to the other side of camp. Well away from the reunion and welcomes.

Barleytuft turned to Raventail, asking his question pointedly. Finchstar murmured quietly to himself about adventures as Raventail revealed where he had gone, and why. He spoke quietly, his words soft.
As the tom next to her explained, Cloverpaw moved towards her, commenting quietly. Her gaze turned towards him and she hesitated before nodding once, slowly. "Yeah.... I am here, now... It.... It is new." Her voice caught for a heartbeat there, and as she fell silent again she shuffled a paw in the dirt of the camp. The feeling of a tail twining with her own made her heart skip a beat, and she turned to look at Raventail, relaxing slightly as she looked into his eyes. This camp was so new, so different.... But with Raventail at her side she could face it head on.

A sharp voice cut through the crowd, and she recognized the mew as belonging to that of the wiry tom who had forced Raventail into the ground just a few moments ago. Fighting hard to keep the fur along her back from slowly rising, she held her tongue. It was natural, normal and expected for some to be angry, especially with Raventail. She had no doubt about the tom's intentions, but it made sense for others to, and while she had hoped he would be received warmly... Well, it seems it wasn't meant to be. It didn't make it sting any less, so in the meantime she would stand by his side, and help him prove himself to every other cat present. They would be strong, together. The other tom stormed away, towards the other side of camp, and the awareness struck her. Raventail had explained where he had gone, and why he had returned, now it was her turn.

Her heart beat quickened, and her ear flicked slightly in discomfort. It certainly wouldn't be easy, to reveal the events of the night before. Feeling as though she had eaten a cobweb, she started to speak, staring down at the ground. Her confidence was lacking, in this moment, and it was all too apparent to the cats surrounding her, and Dappleshine knew it. Slowly, uncertainly, she started to speak. "Many moons ago, Raventail and I met on the way from the distant lake... We hunted together, well, after he laughed at my first fishing attempt and I threw a fish at him. Ever since, we've remained close friends, speaking at Gatherings. Well.... Several moons ago, I realized... I realized that my feelings for him went farther than that of friends. We were in different clans, though, so I hid these feelings, determined to keep them a secret from everyone..."

She took a deep breath as her voice wobbled, still staring pointedly at a pretty brown stone. Dacepaw would have loved that stone. Tears pricking the corner of her eyes, she continued softly. "It worked, for a little bit. Well, kind of, at least. I hid it for a long time, content to just let the distance keep us apart. He had been named deputy, and I was trying to be the best warrior I could be. Then, Dacepaw left, and Torrentstar called her out in front of the clans. You all know what happened there.... Once we returned from the Gathering, the two of us.... confronted each other. Ever since, the relationship between the two of us has chilled, and become almost nonexistent... For those of you that didn't know, my father died in the flood waters, and my mother died after birthing my siblings and I... I'm the only one left from that litter, now.... Torrentstar and Thornstar took us in, Thornstar mothering us until we were old enough to eat solid food, Torrentstar acting as my father figure... until recently."

"Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. My feelings for Raventail had only gotten stronger, and I knew I had to tell him the truth, and try to do the right thing. Half a moon ago, Raventail showed up at the gorge and found me, and I was determined to tell him everything. He told me he was leaving, and I told him the truth behind my feelings. He still left, but with the promise that he would return to give his answer soon, after he had time to think things through. I waited, and as I did I started thinking more and more. Last night, I spoke to Torrentstar. RiverClan had always been my home, but recently between deaths and the isolation from my father.... It was smothering, almost. So I asked him to walk with me, so I could tell him the truth. That I had fallen in love with a cat from another clan."

A tear fell to the ground, wetting the dirt under her face in a perfect circle. Her vision was blurry now, but she continued to speak around the quickly growing lump in her throat. "I didn't want to hide my feelings anymore, to keep them tucked away. I had to be honest with him, my leader... My father.... He.... He told me that I was no daughter of his, a traitor. That my kindness... That listening to and encouraging others to listen to their heart was something wrong....." Her voice cracked as she closed her eyes, shoulders hunched as her tail loosened around Raventail's, drooping towards the ground limply. "That he wished he would have left me to die on the shore of the lake." Her voice was merely a whisper, it was one thing to hear those phrases echo in her head, or mockingly whispered into her ears, it was another to say them herself out loud.

"RiverClan no longer welcomes me. It is no longer my home." Her shoulders shook with the weight of the last half moon as she continued, trying to keep her voice steady and failing. "When the sun rose this morning, I tried to find your camp. As the sun neared it's highest point, I saw a tall rock in the distance, and went to it to try to get a better view of the territory. That's when I found Raventail, sitting on the rock. He led me here, after telling me that he had time to think, and had made his decisions, and what they were." Finally raising her tear-stained face, her blue eyes fixed on Barleytuft for a heartbeat, then Finchstar, and finally to Raventail's. Deep sorrow was reflected in her eyes, along with fear, and a desperate hope. This was it, now just to wait out the verdict.

Mistystripe gave Grousefrost a glare before he left. “Grousefrost, learn your place. You may be my sister’s mate, but you and your ‘efficiency’ are really getting on my nerves. Raventail made a mistake. So what? He found his home. Be thankful for that.” She turned away from the tom, trying to get her anger in check. Who did he think he was? The leader?! 

Taking deep breaths, she smiled at Raventail and Dappleshine. “Don’t mind him. He seems to hate just about every cat that doesn’t do things exactly like he would. I should know. I got stuck as his apprentice before becoming Aspenheart’s apprentice.” She turned to Dappleshine. “My name is Mistystripe, by the way. Perhaps we should get you two looked over?”