Finding what's Been Lost

OOC: this occurs directly after the liberation threads. Everything has been explained, and the Clans have had some time to settle and absorb the information. It's around moonhigh, maybe a half an hour after the Mousehunt cats arrived home

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"Ivystar!"

It was the dead of night, but three WindClan warriors trekked across RiverClan territory, with one goal is mind; find Brick, and see if she'd like to come home. "Hello, Ivystar. We're from WindClan, I think you know us but in case you don't I'm Downtuft, that's Spotlake, and this is Heatherrain." Downtuft explained. The sandy ginger warrior stood tall and determined as he stared at the leader, but his eyes held nothing but joy. A wide smile spread across his maw, and he dipped his head.

"Please pardon our intrusion, but we've come for one of our own. All those moons ago, as you know, our kits were stolen by the Asylum. One of ours is here, we think. Henkit, or, as she goes by now," He paused, scanning the crowd, "Brick. Heatherrain is her mother, and although we cannot make Brick come with us, we'd appreciate if you'd let Heatherrain see her daughter after all this time."

Downtuft had no doubt Ivystar would allow this, and he was fairly confident Brick would come home to them. Then they could find Finchkit, and go home.

Spotlake followed after Downtuft as they padded in the Riverclan camp. She didn't really get why Riverclan really liked this territory. It was a bit too wet for her liking. But that was that least of Spotlake's concerns. Right now, they had to Henkit, or Brick seeing as how Riverclan might now recognize the name, Henkit. She padded up besides Downtuft, as she nodded in agreement. "Yes, if it's not too much of a bother." Spotlake chirped up.

They wouldn't kick her out, would they?

With the Asylum effectively shattered, Brick sat, bewildered and uncertain near where they'd made the RiverClan-assigned cats' makeshift den. Her hare's pelt was still firmly situated on her head, though Captain Lyralei's blood still flecked it. It needed to be cleaned, but... if she took it off, could she put it back on? She hesitated to ask Head Ivystar or Captain Loonwhisper if they would let her stay in RiverClan. She didn't have a place to go. There was no one to follow. Except for Raisha, but she'd been dragged away by a strange cat at the end of the battle, so wherever she was was anyone's guess.

The camp had settled into silence as the wounded and formerly imprisoned cats finally got their well-deserved rest. That is, until some unfamiliar voices sounded from near Ivystar's den. Frowning, she padded over, catching their grassy scent on her tongue. It was the same as the cat who'd taken Raisha, but what were they here for now? She opened her mouth to tell them to let Head Ivystar sleep, then remembered that she was the leader and probably needed to know something was going on, but then again she was exhausted... Her thoughts looped as her jaw opened and closed, making her look like a gaping fish. Finally she found something to say that wouldn't undermine the grey she-cat's authority while also letting her recover.

"What... are you here for?"

Despite the overpowering desire to rest her aching bones, Ivystar's emerald eyes remained wide open, situating on any hint of movement from beyond the camp entrance. It was almost like she was paranoid, perhaps that Lyralei would come storming back in and demand obedience; that this was all a mistake and Asylum's rule had been restored. Spiderqui- no, Dennis, had just barely finished tending to her wounds, and both her legs, despite remaining unbroken, were rapped in strong reeds and covered in some putrid mix of herbs he'd conjured up to help with the pain. It was to strengthen her bones, he said.

So, when unfamiliar pawsteps came tramping through the entrance, Ivystar was on her paws in an instant, ignoring the pain that was shooting up both her front limbs. A low growl had begun to form in her throat when the WindClanner announced their purpose, and while she toned down her growl and loosened her jaw, she still remained in a defensive position. She sat down warily, not taking her eyes off of Downtuft. "Brick is here," she mewed, flicking her tail towards the she-cat in the hare pelt to her left, "but I will not force her to do what she doesn't wish to. If her heart lies with WindClan, then she may return. If she chooses to remain here in RiverClan, I will allow it. If she wishes to return to the life of a rogue, so be it." With a gentle tip of her head, she motioned for the young she-cat to come forward. "If she chooses to see Heatherrain then I see no reason not to allow it. However, if she has no such desire, then I'll escort you out." It was blunt, but Ivystar was tired, and had no intent on entertaining WindClan guests if there was no reason to.

"Henki-- Brick!" Joy fluttered through his entire being as he saw the she-cat that had been lost to them so long ago. "You were one of our kits that were stolen from us by Asylum, along with your sister, Tawnykit. Well, you know her as Raisha, she's back in camp resting. We've come to ask you if you'd like to come home with us. Your father, Deerhawk, is waiting at camp, and your mother, Heatherrain, is here." The whole time he was speaking, a wide grin was across his maw.

Excitement bubbled in his paws, and despite how blunt and cold Ivystar had been, he was ecstatic. The missing kits had been found, at least two of them, and Finchkit would be found soon enough.