As Long As We Can See The Raven's Flight [Ravenpaw]

Leaf-fall's air grew colder by the day, and Smokefeather suppressed a shiver as an icy gust of wind made it's way through the bare trees surrounding the camp, ruffling her long fur. Perhaps it was less the cold (without the wind, Smokefeather thought it was perfectly pleasant) that made her shiver and more the feeling of being watched. The rogues were everywhere, sticking to the shadows, watching, waiting.

It was beyond unnerving, and Smokefeather wished very much for them to leave and never come back. Unfortunately, it looked like there was no end in sight to the rogues on their land. Smokefeather could feel their eyes on her, and a glance around the clearing showed that the rest of her clanmates were just as uncomfortable and angry as she was about it.

A dark pelt caught her eye, but it wasn't one of the rogues. Ravenpaw. Smokefeather had watched her kits train, quiet pride in how their progress was coming along, but with everything happening recently she felt like she was hardly spending time with them as she should.

And... Part of her felt like she had caused Dawnhawk to turn his back on his family. If she hadn't been so blind to him, maybe he wouldn't have done what he did. She couldn't make that same mistake with another of her kits.

"Ravenpaw! How are you?" She mewed, padding over to lightly brush her tail along the dark she-cat's flank.

'Normal. Things are normal.' Things were not normal, but pretending they were was the best way Ravenpaw got through the day. Things had gone from great to a complete disaster in one night. The clan had been taken over by outsiders thinking they were hot stuff, and her father had been pulverized by those rat-hearts. Her siblings had appropriately freaked out, but she had just... stared. She couldn't make any sounds of protest, or even the normal response of crying. It was like her body had gone into shock to protect her from what she had been seeing. Despite everything she was blocking in her mind, she still had one thing on her mind: the camp didn't feel like theirs anymore.

She had been circling around the camp as if trying to dig a dry river into the floor when she felt a tail brush against her flank. Immediately her claws came out, her head whipping around in preparation to slam a bold Asylum cat into the dirt. Of course, it wasn't an Asylum cat: it was her mom. "Mom," she breathed, not doing a great job of masking the surprise in her voice. "I... I'm fine, Smokefeather" she mewed as evenly as she could. She didn't want her mom thinking she was freaking out inside and having problems understanding how she felt about what was happening or anything. Because she was fine. "Just tired of these rat-hearts living with us." Which was true. Those guys were the worst. Even RiverClan was better than them.

Smokefeather's gaze softened at Ravenpaw's reaction. She wasn't the only one tense and ready for a fight. She didn't think she'd seen Beechpaw's fur actually flat in days, now. Smokefeather herself had been resisting the urge to lash out at the Asylum cats, though they were certainly making it difficult not to do so.

"I know, I'd go through every last one of those rogues if I could." Smokefeather sighed, leaning forward to lick between her daughter's ears. If Ravenpaw allowed, she'd pull the apprentice closer, though Smokefeather wouldn't push if she resisted.

"How has training been going?" She asked, hoping to distract her daughter at least a little from the shadowy figures that had positioned themselves around the clearing.

Ravenpaw didn't push away from her mom. She leaned into her, allowing her to lick between her ears. She hadn't spent much time with her mom in a maternal sense, but it felt okay right then, like she needed that motherly love when everything was going so wrong. At least she wouldn't be the only one clawing at their invaders.

"Training has... actually been going fine. I've learned a lot from Wrenspring. He's an amazing mentor, and a wonderful warrior! He took this hit from a goose and then smacked it halfway across the territory!" That had not happened, but it was almost... not exactly close to the truth. She hadn't even realized that she had started gushing about her mentor. It just kind of came out. At least she had someone to talk to. There was her mentor and her siblings, but she hadn't realized yet just how out of touch she was with her family and her clan. It seemed so easy to be a great SkyClan cat, but she had forgotten to really get in touch with those who were in the clan itself.

A purr rumbled from her chest as Smokefeather pulled her daughter closer, gently lapping at her head as if she were still a kit. She'd grown since leaving the nursery, of course, but she was still her kit, and Smokefeather would see her that way for a while. It was the same way she thought of Primroselight and Beechface, not that she'd ever say so to either of their faces. They knew where she slept, and Smokefeather wouldn't risk her own safety like that.

"I'm glad you're getting on well. Wrenspring is one of our more skilled fighters. I'm sure he'll teach you everything he knows." She purred. Ravenpaw's praise of the scarred warrior hadn't gone unnoticed, but Smokefeather merely shrugged it off as her genuinely enjoying having a competent mentor.

It had been awhile since Ravenpaw had felt such comfort. She was used to either being excited or angry, her two main emotions. This was new, or rather, one she hadn't felt since leaving the nursery. Her fur felt warm with embarrassment, but she didn't feel like leaving the warmth of her mother just yet.

"I want to be just as good of a warrior as he is," she proclaimed proudly, puffing out her chest. If she could be as good as Wrenspring, then those rat-hearts who had taken over their clan wouldn't stand a chance. The two of them could probably take them all on on their own. "Mom? I... I don't feel like I know my own siblings very well." She ducked her head in embarrassment, not meeting Smokefeather's eyes. "I think I've been too focused on becoming a warrior to spend time with them. What should I do?" She looked back up at Smokefeather, desperately wanting to know how she could reconnect with her family.

"You'll make a great warrior, Ravenpaw." Smokefeather mewed encouragingly.

Ravenpaw continued to speak, and Smokefeather sighed quietly to herself. She knew the feeling of pulling away from those who were closest to her, and it wasn't something Ravenpaw should have had to experience. At least she seemed to want to reconnect with her siblings, and with that, Smokefeather hoped she could help.

"You've all been focusing on your duties and training. It's not a bad thing, but I think you could definitely try and spend more time with each other. You and Lichenpaw have the same mentor, but you could always go hunting with Primroselight, or patrolling with Copperfox and Ashstorm. Vulturepaw would appreciate your company as well, you know." It worried Smokefeather that she'd landed with such an... unwilling... mentor, though she wouldn't say so out loud and for others to hear. Vulturepaw was shy and sweet and everything that Adderflare wasn't.

"I think Beechface would also appreciate the company of her own clanmates while she's out gathering herbs." The medicine cat had settled into her position finally, it seemed, and she'd made her contempt for the rogues very clear. She and Ravenpaw were both headstrong.

"Of course, you don't need a reason to go and spend time with them, either. They're your siblings, Ravenpaw." She added gently, meeting her daughter's gaze.

What Smokefeather said made a lot of sense. There were plenty of family members for her to reconnect with, and there were still lots of things to do around camp, Asylum cats besides. She needed to put in that effort, especially if she wanted to become the most well-known and well-loved SkyClan cat of all time. The one whose name would put fear into the hearts of all the other clans. The one who chased those fox-hearts out with her own four paws. Yeah, that sounded real nice.

"Thanks mom," Ravenpaw whispered, gently nuzzling her shoulder. "I'll try to spend some time with them all." And hey, she had spent time with Smokefeather too. That counted, since they were family and all. Actually, since they were family... "Hey, mom? How did you and dad get together? What did he do to make you his mate?" She tried to ask as innocently as she could, though her fur was already warming up in the cool air.

Ravenpaw's question earned a quiet laugh from the warrior as she looked at her daughter.

"We trained together as apprentices... Or well, he trained me when we were apprentices, because my mentor was Sunflower." Smokefeather's whiskers twitched at the memories, far more pleasant than any thoughts on the current situation.

"He had ambitions, like most cats, and unlike Sunflower he was brave almost to a fault. He and his sister, Mistrain, used to get into so much trouble together, they were practically inseparable. He was kind and caring, and was more playful than most would realize." A soft smile had spread across Smokefeather's maw, seemingly without her even realizing it.

"He was handsome, and I--" Smokefeather cut herself off, remembering who she was talking to. "I shouldn't be gushing over him like this to you, sorry Ravenpaw." Her fur warmed in embarrassment that she'd gone on like that to her own daughter. She bent her head, lapping awkwardly at her own chest fur.

Ravenpaw couldn't help but laugh as well. At least the bird was on the other paw now. "You sound more like a young warrior than my mother," she laughed. "Did your feelings come naturally, then?" She was really starting to wonder about herself right then. A brave, honorable warrior... kind of sounded like a certain mentor that she knew. Was that what she was feeling? Oh StarClan...

At Ravenpaw's response, Smokefeather lifted a paw to lightly swat at her daughter's shoulder. There was no real force behind the blow, it was more playful than anything.

"Insinuating that your mother is old isn't nice, you know." Smokefeather retorted, though her whiskers did twitch in amusement, ruining the effect of the mock growl that had crept into her voice.

"Feelings come about naturally, though I suppose it was hard to tell when between us." She answered the question as truthfully as she could. She'd had her warrior ceremony, and not long after that had taken to the nursery with kits.

She had to wonder if Ravenpaw was asking because she had her eye on someone, but would refrain... for now.

It wasn't a harsh blow to her shoulder, and Ravenpaw couldn't help but laugh again at it. It was the first time she had really felt so at ease since the takeover. She hadn't even realized how much she needed it. "Sorry mom," she replied sort of sincerely. She was still laughing, though, so it kind of ruined the sincerity. She then nodded, taking in what Smokefeather had said. Those feelings came naturally, so... she had feelings for Wrenspring, then, huh? Oh StarClan... She wasn't even a warrior yet! But she would be soon, that was for sure. Maybe, just maybe... She didn't want to live in fantasies, but this one was a nice one. Imagine how afraid their usurpers would be with the two of them fighting side by side. They'd run at the sign of a single claw.

Smokefeather purred affectionately as Ravenpaw attempted an apology for her transgressions.

"I should have you put on elder duties for that lack of sincerity." She snickered. Nighthawk would have heard this conversation and cuffed them both over the ear like kits, no doubt. Maybe the elder was right when she said this new generation had no respect.

"Sooo... Is there a reason you asked about your dad and me? Any tom caught your eye? You know you can tell me anything, right?" She hadn't wanted to ask, but Smokefeather figured she could at least help the young she-cat sort through her feelings if she wanted to share. If not, she wouldn't pry.

“I know that,” she mewed, though her body language spoke otherwise. Her fur immediately fluffed up, and she was looking everywhere to see if anyone was around. This time, she was more worried about her clan mates listening than the Asylum cats. “This is only for your ears, okay?” She popped up and down on her paws, clearly embarrassed by what she was about to admit. “I think I like Wrenspring.” She wasn’t sure how her mom would feel about that. She wasn’t yet a warrior, and Wrenspring was her mentor. Still, it couldn’t be that bad, right?

Smokefeather felt guilt prickle along her spine as her daughter all but squirmed in discomfort at the question, but it didn't take long for her to answer.

"He's older than your father but... when you're a consenting warrior, it's not really my business. Unless he hurts you." Smokefeather replied, "Wrenspring is a respectable warrior, and he's kind and loyal. There are worse options." She added.

"I don't partake in gossip, Ravenpaw. And it's not my place to get involved." She finished, flicking her tail to rest gently across the apprentice's shoulders.