a promise to you is easy to keep

The trees' bare limbs rattled noisily in the canopy of the trees as a bitter leaf-fall breeze rolled its way through the forest. The treetops swayed, and the shadows they cast with the sun-high light danced over the earth of ThunderClan's territory. Softly tinkling beneath the sound of the wind was the sound of a kittypet collar. As a golden tabby cat made her way through the forest, her fur ruffled up, she could hardly think of anything but the sound of her adornment. She had recently defended it, deciding she was growing fond of it, but as she made her way past SkyClan and then into ThunderClan's land, she felt immensely self-conscious. They could probably hear her moving all the way in ShadowClan.

That made it all the more important that Marmalade found her friend soon. Not only that, but in her teeth Marmalade held three small sprigs of fresh, healthy young catmint in her teeth. Though the medicine cat she sought would appreciate the bounty, she medicine cat could hardly smell - or focus - past the intoxicating aroma.

Marmalade remembered the last time she had wandered in ThunderClan's territory; she was searching for Mossbloom then, too. The medicine cat had been one of her dearest friends. Marmalade had fled the forest, but she had sworn to the ThunderClan cat that she would return before the first snow-fall to let her know where she'd landed and that she was safe. Marmalade hoped their friendship had survived the parting... and whatever her dear friend had had to endure in Clan life while the golden tabby settled comfortably in a warm twoleg nest every night, well-fed.

Three moons had passed.

The golden tabby found her way through the bracken to yet another unfamiliar clearing and sighed with frustration through the catmint. It's just like last time, Marmalade thought, I've no idea where to go to find the camp or Mossbloom - and, stars, if I find the camp without Mossbloom who knows what might happen? Marmalade set down her catmint, took a deep breath, and called, "Hello? ThunderClan, anyone? I'm looking for Mossbloom!"

How long had she been staring at this bush? Mossbloom found that she wasn't sure, the shiny exterior of the juniper berries clinging to the branches provided no answer. She had been jolted out of her daze by... Something. Something so familiar, a far off memory... What had it been? A voice called again, and Mossbloom immediately found her paws. "Amberdawn?" She called, pointing herself in the direction the voice had come. She knew that voice, she would know it anywhere. One of her dearest friends. She was okay! Or was she? She had gone to twolegplace, what if she was injured? Moving quickly through the brush, she found herself greeted by her friend's familiar visage as she broke through and immediately ran forward to press her nose into the other she-cat's chest fur. The tears came shortly behind.

"Amberdawn! Oh Amberdawn, you're okay! Are you hurt? Did you find a nice, cozy den? I've been so worried about you, I got a prophecy and thought it might be about you but now you're here oh StarClan Amberdawn... I've missed you so much.... So much has happened..." The lump in her throat choked anymore words out of existence as she pulled her head back, looking her friend over. No wounds she could see, and the ex-SkyClan medicine cat didn't smell of sickness... Well, she smelled of something related to a terrible sickness but not of the disease itself. Her eyes found the source, laying at the paws of her friend. Catmint? Looking back up with a hint of confusion, she took in the collar around her friend's neck. Sniffing it gently, it jingled softly and she blinked, hesitantly pausing before pressing her face back into her chest.

Marmalade's golden ears perked up at the sound of a voice calling out. Immediately the kittypet grinned, her tail beginning to raise with optimism at her good fortune. Thank StarClan, it's Mossbloom - and she's close, the former Clan cat thought, her paws working excitedly at the ground. If only she were better at navigating ThunderClan's thick underbrush, she would try to save Mossbloom some time and trouble, but sitting and waiting in anticipation for her appearance would have to do. Marmalade listened carefully to the sound growing nearer, calling out in affirmation, "Yes! Mossbloom, it's me!" The sound of a creature rushing through the brush made Marmalade turn, and she immediately honed in on a vibrant calico pelt as it burst through the underbrush.

Her tail shot up at the sight, and she welcomed her dearest friend Mossbloom into a warm, tear-choked embrace. The ThunderClan cat buried her face into Marmalade's chest, and the former medicine cat hummed softly and licked Mossbloom's head and ears and neck fervently and soothingly, murmuring, "Mossbloom - I've missed you." The golden tabby cat listened as her friend spoke quickly, rambling tearfully. "I'm okay, Mossbloom - I found somewhere safe." She quietly listened with interest and concern as the ThunderClan cat expressed fear about a prophecy, worrying it may have been for her. Mossbloom's words slowed with sorrow and desperation, and after a moment the two pulled apart slightly, their eyes meeting.

Mossbloom sought answers, and that was all Marmalade wanted to give her. It hadn't been very long since she'd last been called Amberdawn, but it still felt a little jarring after three moons. The ThunderClan cat spotted the catmint and gave her friend a look of confusion; a moment later, Mossbloom's dark, weary green eyes were taking in her collar. Then the calico leaned into Marmalade again, and she inched closer, pulling Mossbloom as deep into her warm, sleek coat as she could. "I've got plenty of time - you can tell me everything you need. I found somewhere safe," Marmalade repeated, gently nuzzling Mossbloom between her ears. "It's so, so good to see you. I've missed you, too - I've been thinking about you. I-I brought you this from my nest. I thought you and ThunderClan could make more use of it than I will." She pawed gently at the catmint, moving it in their line of sight where they wouldn't trample the sprigs by accident.

Amberdawn greeted her warmly, a soft hum vibrating her as she felt the kind, warm licks around her head and ears. "I missed you too...." She gasped through tears. Amberdawn had found somewhere safe, and the moons of worry that had plagued Mossbloom about her friend seemed to melt away. So there were kind twolegs after all, ones that would help rather than hurt. As the moved closer to each other again, Mossbloom found that she didn't mind the blue twinkling collar around her friend's neck. If it didn't bother Amberdawn, it didn't bother her. 


Looking up as Amberdawn nuzzled her head gently and moved the catmint out of the way of their paws, Mossbloom purred. "You've been on my mind almost constantly.... I'm so glad you're okay. Thank you so much, it's so wonderful that you have catmint at your nest! With leaf-bare coming, we'll almost definitely need it..." Mossbloom only looked at the herbs a moment longer before turning back to her friend, green eyes twinkling in excitement. "So you found a nest? What are your twolegs like? Do they call you something different? Do you want to know anything about the forest?" Her gaze trailed towards the sky, taking in the position of the sun. "How much time do we have?"

Marmalade happily settled into Mossbloom once it seemed she was able to relax her nerves a little bit. Whatever the medicine cat was afraid of, it couldn't have come to pass, for her former Clan cat friend was here now, well and at peace - or as much as she could be with ends left loose. Marmalade purred pleasantly and said with a bit of relief, "I think StarClan is still having me care for the Clans in this small, special way." Then she listened as Mossbloom spoke again, looking much more at ease and asking questions eagerly, those friendly green eyes with which Marmalade had become so familiar and so comfortable. At the last, Marmalade's dark amber gaze also floated up to the sky, gauging the sun's position. She simply shook her head, answering reassuringly, "Plenty of time. I found a wonderful nest with herbs inside, and my twolegs are so thoughtful; if I don't come inside before they retire to their dens, they leave a gap in the wall of the nest for me. I've tested it before."

With that reassurance made, Marmalade swept her gold striped tail around Mossbloom, affectionately licking the she-cat's neck and ears for a moment or two. She sat up and said, "Well, you had all kinds of questions. The twolegs I live with do call me something different; I'm 'Marmalade' to them. I'm not sure what it means, but the kittypets living near me told me that's what they say. My twolegs are... odd, but oh, so kind. Sometimes they remind me of big bumbling kits toddling after warriors in camp, admiring and gushing about them. They follow me and watch me and coo and chatter, but they don't seem to know what I'm doing or why. They are plenty encouraging, though. They're the reason I have catmint - they even keep thyme and parsley and mint in the nest!" For the moment, her thoughts were wrapped in visions of her new home.

The golden tabby cat smiled, feeling almost as relaxed here beside her friend as she'd come to feel in the twoleg nest. Marmalade felt her friend easing into her, looking less anxious by the moment. It was a relief to know that, simply by upholding the promise she'd made, she could do something to comfort Mossbloom. She nodded once in agreement, thinking again how grateful she was that StarClan had let her follow this path and, for the moment, avoiding the mild frustration that they had been unable to guide her to a safer path to begin with. Mossbloom was purring as she expressed happiness and relief at Amberdawn's fortunate find those few moons ago. The ThunderClan cat listened thoughtfully to Marmalade's reports.

Marmalade was drawn from her reminiscing as Mossbloom asked quizzically, "Do twolegs get sick too? Is that why they grow them? How do they keep them in leaf-bare?" Marmalade blinked her dark amber eyes and hummed thoughtfully, answering, "Truthfully, I'm not sure why they grow them - they definitely get sick, but when they do they don't seem to ever make use of the herbs. The herbs were the first things that helped me find my home - they were inside the twoleg nest inside these odd stones packed with dirt, and it was like the plants just grew right out of them."

Mossbloom interrupted ever so gently and politely, asking what name Marmalade now preferred. "Well... I don't really have a preference, I suppose. I think that I... I feel like Amberdawn when I'm with you. It's who I've always been with you. I know my name doesn't change who I am, but I am made up of the cats who helped me to grow." The golden tabby kittypet rubbed her head against Mossbloom's neck, adding, "You're one of them. I'll go by whatever is most comfortable for you." Distracted again by thoughts of the herbs, she added, "The herbs - I suspect that being kept inside the twoleg nests where it's warm even when the outside is cold has a lot to do with it. The twolegs take care of them, even watering them and removing withered leaves." She smiled slightly. It was rather strange that they cared for them without an apparent purpose.

Amberdawn's answer was accompanied by a contemplative hum, leading Mossbloom to think that maybe Amberdawn herself wasn't entirely sure of the answers either. Twolegs were such strange creatures.... They grow herbs but don't use them, inside of odd stones within their nests? How was that possible? How did the herbs get there? Her brow furrowed as she tried to make sense of it before she gave up with a small shake of her head as Amberdawn continued.

So she didn't have a preference... So she claimed. Mossbloom's eyes softened and her purr waxed in strength as Amberdawn rubbed her head against her neck, the feeling pleasant and warm and comfortable. The ThunderClan medicine cat remained silent for a moment before looking at Amberdawn, eyes soft and flickering with emotion. "Then I think I'll call you Marmalade... After all, that's who you are now, isn't it? No matter what name you carry, you'll always be one of my dearest friends, Marmalade." Reaching forward, Mossbloom touched her nose gently to her companions, closing her eyes as she reveled in the peaceful moment.

A twig snapped in the distance, and Mossbloom jumped, pulled from her time with Marmalade suddenly. Her eyes darkened slightly before she turned to Marmalade, a mild panic and fear in her gaze. "Marmalade, my friend... It's not really safe in the forest right now... There's these awful beasts, a group of dog and fox and stars only knows what else roaming around. There have been so many wounds and deaths recently.... You shouldn't stay past dark, and even then, you should be careful walking around... Pricklebush, Mistlepaw and I were attacked on our way back from the medicine cat meeting in the last moon, and... Well... Pricklebush didn't make it. I can't stand to lose you too."

Marmalade was perfectly satisfied with Mossbloom's response and decision to call her by her new kittypet name. Mossbloom had always been so understanding - a true medicine cat by nature, and a healer by heart, too. Their friendship meant the world to the former Clan cat, and it was absolutely correct that whatever name Marmalade took on, she would be the same cat, and the relationship they'd made would endure. As they sat close to each other, Marmalade reveled in the warmth of her friend. She remembered how close they were on the lake shore after the flood, and how close they had remained afterward - at least, until Marmalade was involved in the death of the she-cat's father. It had taken moons and both of them going through several devastating changes, but eventually they had found their paths to each other again. Their friendship had survived.

Their peace was suddenly interrupted by the snapping of branches. Marmalade understood if she was a bit skittish to the sound of the forest after so much time in the relative safety of Twolegplace, but Mossbloom's jumpiness surprised her as they both jolted to their paws. The ThunderClan cat's worried green gaze immediately caught Marmalade's eyes, and Mossbloom explained that predators from dogs to foxes and between had been wreaking havoc on the forest. Marmalade's ears flattened with horror to hear that Mossbloom, Pricklebush, and Mistlepaw had been attacked, but when she heard that Pricklebush had... had fallen to the creatures...

"Oh, Mossbloom," Marmalade began, her dark amber eyes glittering with pain and sympathy, "I'm so sorry. Pricklebush was a wonderful medicine cat and I... I'm grateful that I was able to know him." The golden tabby looked at her paws slightly. Could it have been me, if I had stayed in the forest? she wondered, but, worse, she thought, Oh, stars, what if it had been Mossbloom...? Marmalade swallowed and looked back at Mossbloom. "That must have been so hard... All the forest must have mourned his loss. Are you... Are you doing okay, Moss?" she asked her friend softly, daring to lean in and risk ignoring whatever had disturbed the underbrush for the moment.

"I... I've been better, I'll admit.... There's been so much death and grief in the last moons, and with leaf-bare almost upon us I fear there will only be more.... I'm... I'm glad your safe, away from it all, Marmalade. I was able to get Mistlepaw away before she was grievously injured, and thankfully Bearooth happened to be patrolling nearby and heard my pleas... We were too late though...." Her head lowered as she spoke, grief swimming in their green depths. What if she had stayed? More had been lost in Pricklebush's death than it would have hers - he could have trained a new medicine cat and been fine... What would he be doing now, if he was still among them?

Head still lowered, she slowly leaned forward until the top of it was against Marmalade's shoulder, taking comfort in her friend's presence. "It's so different without you.... But I know you're safe and happy now, and that means everything to me. Am-Marmalade, you mean so much to me, the brightest star in the night sky, the prettiest clouds at morning. Thank you for keeping your promise to me, and letting me know you're okay. Can I ask you to make one more?" Mossbloom raised her head to gaze at her friend, warmth and love and a hint of fear in them. "Please stay safe, especially if you come to visit me once again. I don't know when this danger will pass, but we both know that there's always something. May the stars light your path always, my dear friend."

Marmalade listened intently, her head dipping with grief as the ThunderClan cat spoke of the hardships of the forest: death and sorrow abounded, and any forest cat knew leaf-bare could only bring more. Despite the words of relief Mossbloom spoke about Marmalade's new home in the twolegplace, the golden tabby couldn't help but feel a pit of self-consciousness and discomfort gnaw at her belly. Hadn't it once been her duty to endure those hardships alongside her Clan and kin and help them to thrive even in the darkness? She pushed aside her feelings, forcing herself to listen to Mossbloom's sorrowful words when she so clearly needed it. Hearing Mossbloom explain the circumstances of Pricklebush's death made Marmalade frown, and she made a soft, soothing coo as she gently licked her friend between the ears. There was nothing more she could say.

Slowly Mossbloom seemed to relax into the kittypet's embrace again, resting her forehead against Marmalade's shoulder. The golden tabby let her ears perk up, listening intently to the surrounding forest for any more sounds before turning her attention back to Mossbloom, gently grooming the she-cat's neck and shoulders as the calico stood hunched over sadly. After a few quiet moments, the ThunderClan cat spoke again, and her words of sadness at Marmalade's absence in the forest twisted at the former Clan cat's heart again. She had opened her mouth to apologize for leaving, but Mossbloom was already moving on, saying it was more important that Marmalade was safe and happy. Marmalade felt her golden pelt flush with heat, a warm and pleasant tingling radiating for her belly and paws. She smiled and rested her head on Mossbloom's neck for a moment, soaking in the she-cat's kind words.

Marmalade stood upright again when Mossbloom did, gazing with warmth and love and concern into a green mirrored gaze. The medicine cat's ears perked up. "Anything, Mossbloom. A promise to you is easy to keep," Marmalade declared with a voice resonating certainty and admiration. Mossbloom stated her request: to stay safe. If Marmalade visited again, she would need to be careful - the danger was unknown, and when it would pass was even more unknown. Marmalade's expression became a bit more solemn as she nodded. She opened her mouth to reply before another crack sounded in the trees, making the golden kittypet jolt ever so slightly with surprise. Mossbloom's deep fear was compounding on Marmalade's, and the she-cat knew they would only feed into each other. The best thing for them both to do - as heartbreaking as it was, and as much as Marmalade didn't want to go yet - was to return to their homes.

The golden tabby reached forward quickly to bury her own face in Mossbloom's neck. "I promise, Mossbloom. I'm always careful... I'll be safe. I want you to do the same." Marmalade stepped back, her dark amber eyes holding the sadness a little less subtly. She would have to take her leave; another rustle sounded in some underbrush, a few birds fluttered away. At least Mossbloom was close to camp already. As Marmalade gazed around nervously her eyes landed on the herbs she had brought for her medicine cat friend, and she said tactfully, "O-Oh, the herbs - it's a good time to take them back to camp, I think." She took another step back, looking at Mossbloom intently. "You are my dearest friend. I need you to be here in ThunderClan for me the next time I come back - and I will come back, okay?" Marmalade turned, and she said over her shoulder, "I'll come back to see you. Take care, Mossbloom." With another wistful look, the medicine cat turned and began to race back the way she had come.