Here We Go Again

Tawnyflare would have never thought her paws would lead her to this place. And yet here she was, sitting by the gorge, looking out to RiverClan. Did she wish she could go back? Of course not. She would not set paw in that star forbidden territory if her life depended on it. But it was a place that was familiar to her, how dreadful it may be. And Brick was there, too. Although she wasn't sure if her sister still went by Brick. She changed her name, what was keeping her sister from doing the same?

There was also the chance Duran was there, too. She did not have many friends, but it had been nice having him. He had been born in RiverClan, had he not? He must be thrilled to not have to hide anymore. Tawnyflare actually envied him, knowing his family, while she could barely look any cat in the eye. They were all nice enough, Shyfawn especially took good care of her. But she couldn't help but be afraid, even now. She was happy in Asylum, and everything fell apart. What if that happened again?

She was so lost in thought, she almost did not notice the calico pelt on the other side of the gorge. Green eyes wide in fear, Tawnyflare tensed her muscles, ready for the worst. She was in her own territory (wow that was weird to say), so maybe she would be safe? But she knew better than to put anything past Flashlight, so she prepared for the worst.

It seemed her life was about to fall apart again if Flashlight had her way.

The freedom to patrol on her own was something Flashlight had come to cherish, in all the short time she'd possessed it. It was nice, if a little lonely - she had the freedom to wander and gather her thoughts, to be as meticulous as she liked in inspecting the borders, to sit quietly and watch the sky. She had sorely missed being allowed to simply exist on her own terms, and she had every intention of taking advantage of that freedom whenever the opportunity presented itself.

This time, she'd made her way to the gorge. It wasn't a place she tended to visit for more than simple patrol - she preferred to spend her leisure time near deeper water and thicker ice, far from steep falls and fox nests - but she prided herself on keeping familiar with every corner of RiverClan's territory, and so there she found herself. It was a simple task: make sure the borders remained intact (not especially difficult, given that it was presumably impossible to actually move the gorge itself), and ensure no unwanted rogues were settling on Clan territory.

(That felt particularly important now.)

RiverClan's side appeared to be undisturbed, which was a pleasant surprise. She'd be free to return home soon, then, just as soon as she-

Her pleasant musings were interrupted as her gaze swept over the other side of the gorge, finally settling on someone she'd prayed she would never have to see again.

(It seemed that her faith in her warrior ancestors, or at least in their power, was faltering more and more by the day.)

Thank you once again, StarClan, for absolutely nothing.

She narrowed her eyes, settling a few tail-lengths from the edge of the gorge.

"You."

"You got a problem? I am pretty sure I have not crossed the border, so why don't you run back to your Clan. I am in no mood for a fight, and I have no pelt to kick off to aggravate you. Still curious how you find me removing my most valuable asset in battle to be aggressive, but oh well. By gones be by gones I guess." She gave a stiff shrug as she watched the other she-cat warily.

She was not fully sure if Flashlight could come over to WindClan territory, but the thought of another fight worried her. Would Lilacstar approve of her fighting with other cats after she had so generously accepted her into the Clan? She didn't want to cause trouble for cats who have been nothing but kind.

"Look, believe it or not, I don't actually want trouble. Okay? I am even staying on my own territory."

"So you can ambush me the moment I turn my back? I'm not as stupid as you take me for, I assure you," Flashlight narrowed her eyes further. "I have every intention of returning home alive, thank you." She went on walks for peace, but there were few peaceful outcomes when the path she took crossed with that of someone who was already a known murderer. "What do you mean, your territory? That's WindClan. Not that I care much about WindClan, but... Do you lingering Asylum pests honestly still believe you can claim our territory as you please?"

The calico shook her head, brushing that thought aside. "Whatever. That's WindClan's problem, I suppose, so long as you keep on that side of the gorge."

She wanted, more than anything, to return to her routine; but hesitated to take her eyes off the other cat for even a split second. She may have claimed to not want any trouble, but hadn't she made claims to the same effect at her own trial? There was no way to judge honesty, and no way to guarantee her own safety.

"You claim you are not stupid and yet you continue to prove otherwise. I am WindClan, you stupid badger brain. And my name is Tawnyflare, not Asylum pest. And as of right now I am bound by the.....the......whatever it is called! This is still new, give me a break." She was basically rambling to herself at this point, growing irritated as she struggled at such simple concepts.

"Look, I just want one thing, and then I'll leave, alright? Brick, or Henkit, as I guess she was called before everything happened. She stayed in RiverClan. Just tell me she is okay, and I can leave and we can forget about all of this, deal? Or is it too much to ask for some closure for the cats that care for her?"

She wanted nothing but to turn tail and run, but she needed to know. She had heard no news, and she was growing worried. She didn't know if RiverClan was punishing Brick because of her stupidity, or holding her captive, or what. But she needed to know she was safe.

"You claim you deserve closure, is that it - well, you gave me nothing of the sort! You think you can just move on from what you've done? Well, no. It's not that easy. I cared for Shrikefrost, you know. I certainly never called him a burden. You were so eager to be rid of her then, it seemed. What does she matter to you now? Or is it just that she's no longer your problem? I'll be sure to let her know."

"As far as I'm aware, she's fine," Flashlight rolled her eyes. "Though I don't see why I should tell you anything. I don't make a point of concerning myself with the daily goings-on of Asylum remnants, you understand, even the ones that are at least remotely tolerable. Oh, but what a tale you've spun for yourself here! You sure do seem like it," she said lightly, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Were that the truth, then... What sob story did you give WindClan to make them take in a murderer? Or perhaps they're just dumber than I thought. Far too trusting, certainly, whether or not they know what you've done, seeing as they're allowing you to roam about unsupervised. You can't even name our code of honor, and yet claim to be bound by it. How pathetic."

"Who says I spun a tale? Here is one I bet you have heard of. Before Asylum came, kits from every Clan had disappeared into the night. Three from WindClan were lost. Finchkit, Henkit, and Tawnykit. I think you can put two and two together." She fixed Flashlight with a level stare. "Zinnia brought me to WindClan after the battle. Roe, the Asylum cat who helped the mouse hunt, he told us we had come from the Clans before then. and here we are now"

"It might be hard to believe, but I do have regrets. Treating Brick the way I did is one of them. I didn't even know if she was my sister. And...I know it probably won't change anything, but Killing Shrikefrost is another regret I have. I won't make any more excuses, there is none, nothing I say would make it right. And believe it or not, I am sorry."

She took a deep breath, her claws sinking into the ground as, for just this moment, she let her pride fall. For the first time, she admitted she was wrong. "I got what I wanted, so as promised, I will leave. Farewell, Flashlight." And with that, Tawnyflare turned around, going the way she had come from. Right back to her camp.