And again [c]

A wandering guest, perhaps unwelcome, but trying his best to leave, was dragging his feet about SkyClan territory. Both because he was tired and so he'd know where he'd been before. And so far... He's been in a circle more than twice now. "I should have followed those other cats... I've not a clue where I am!" His hiss came as a rasp, as though it were a sound he rarely made. This was getting frustrating. Patience was wearing thin.

Patrolling in the trees truly did have advantages, Wolfblossom noted. She had spotted the unfamiliar cat in the distance, most definitely not one of Skyclan's. Wolfblossom knew her clanmates and at least two loners that were friendly to Skyclan, but not every outsider was going to be one of their own cast out, and cats couldn't just encroach onto Skyclan territory without a reason. As the deputy made her way from branch to branch near him, it became clear to her that he carried no clan scent. And indeed, he seemed to realize he was lost. "Hey there," Wolfblossom greeted, there was no hint of caution in her voice, but Wolfblossom did not come down from the tree she was in. If the outsider reacted violently, he would have to fight on her domain. "The twolegplace is beyond the fence, if that's where you're headed. You're on Skyclan territory now." Trespassing, but the deputy would prefer to solve the issue peacefully if she could.

He jumped a bit, head tilting up to follow the voice that called down to him. Another, much larger cat had greeted him in almost this same manner. Though, that she-cat had made the branches come crashing down around him as a hello. He guess he should be thankful this one hadn't tried Cushing him to get his attention.

"Two leg place?" Was this she-cat talking about human houses? "I'm looking for a bridge that leads to a farm... I could have sworn it was near here... You wouldn't happen to know of it, would you?" Just then his legs collapsed under him, weak from his nonstop walking. Perhaps he'd take a rest. Just once more.

"A bridge...?" She wasn't sure but... There was a bridge somewhere along the river, wasn't there? "The river west of here has a bridge if you follow it north. I don't know what's past it, I've only seen it in the distance when traveling to fourtrees." She wasn't sure if that might be the bridge he was looking for, but the old tom seemed so lost... And right as she thought that, the old tom collapsed. "Hey-!" The movement had startled her, but she kept to her branch. While there wasn't another cat around, she couldn't just bring him to camp or get help either. Skyclan couldn't afford resources on a loner, she knew. Hopefully it was nothing more than just the tom's obvious exhaustion catching up to him. "You can... rest here. But you can't stay on Skyclan territory for long, I can escort you to the river, if you'd like." She couldn't just leave him here, and perhaps that would point him in the right direction.

Yes! The river! The four great trees! He knew those places well. Gathering his sprawled out paws back underneath them, be nestled down, shaking the snow off his chin. Would this cat really help him get there? "Thank you... I didn't catch your name. Mine is Mr. Worm." He sighed in relief at getting further permission to rest just a few minutes longer. "If you could get me to that river, I would be forever in your debt. I don't want anything from your territory. Just... Please get me in the right direction." His impatience and anxiety were growing every moment he stayed in unfamiliar land. He hoped this cat understoond he wasn't trying to be rude.

"Wolfblossom," She mewed. Mister Worm... Strange name, but then he was an outsider to the clans, so she couldn't really judge. "I can escort you to the river, but not much farther." Her place was in Skyclan, after all, but it was clear to her that the old tom did not wish to linger on this territory any longer than he had to. "So long as you stick to the river's edge you'll find your way, I think." She added.

He nodded his thanks, remaining quiet for quite a long time before looking up to the she-cat again. "Wolfblossom... A strong yet soft name. I like it." He smiled to himself. He would remember that name well. "Will you take me there while staying in the tree tops? Or will I be able to put a face to your name?"

Wolfblossom's pelt felt warm under the tom's words, a mix of pride and embarrassment. "Thanks." She mewed. And- Oh, she was still in the trees. It was easy to forgot that not all cats were as comfortable in them as most Skyclanners were. Mister Worm, she had decided, was not going to be a threat, and since he wanted to be on Skyclan territory about as much as Wolfblossom wanted to find a swarm of angry bees, she dropped down to the forest floor. She wasn't the most graceful cat like her mentor was, but climbing and leaping from branch to branch had been ingrained in her from a young age. "I can walk, yeah." It would be easier than having to pick her way around unstable branches, too. "Are you ready, then? I wouldn't want to be so far from home either." From the way the tom had spoken, he clearly missed the more familiar areas. Wandering in unfamiliar territory couldn't have been enjoyable, either.

He greeted Wolfblossom with a warm smile. "There's my savior!" He closed his eyes and breathed in and then out in a sigh. Guess it was time he got up, huh?

Some of his joints popped as he stood up, and he chuckled about it to himself. His apprentice always had some quip to say about his age. Something he really missed right about now. "I'm ready to go, Wolfblossom. Lead the way." He walked as she walked, though his steps were more unsteady than hers. But he was determined to make it to that bridge. "Tell me... Do you think there's more after all this?" He was talking about life after death. He hoped he wouldn't have to explain what he meant any further, as talking about death at his age was asking for something to happen.

"After this...?" It took Wolfblossom a moment to realize what the tom meant. Being dead wasn't something she thought of often - she was young, after all. "Our ancestors watch over us and guide us, that I've seen with my own eyes. Starclan, we call them. We all wind up there eventually, if we haven't done anything evil to deserve a worse fate." Some in her family would say that Starclan themselves were evil, Wolfblossom wasn't so sure. Though Starclan also wasn't something she thought of regularly. "I've met one Starclan cat, when clan cats are young we're taken to the moonstone to dream. They offer advice, or sometimes are just an ear to listen." She began to walk as she talked, choosing to ignore the sound of cracking joints when the tom stood up. If he wasn't going to bring that up, neither was she.

"Star clan..." He hummed to himself, thinking it over. As far as he could remember, he hadn't caused too much trouble now or when he was younger. Sure, he broke a few hearts back in the day, but otherwise? Nothing truly evil. "Ancestors... So any loved ones who pass, you get to see again?" That sounded lovely to him. "Is this only for those who live in the forest?"

"Provided they didn't do something evil to wind up in the dark forest, yes, we're able to see them again." Wolfblossom replied. "I don't know... Maybe? I don't know many outsiders who weren't at least former clan cats. Most of them still believe in Starclan, so I'd wager they find their way there when the time comes." Her mother had done bad things in life, but Wolfblossom didn't want to believe that she would wind up in the dark forest. Beechfang had made her mistakes, but was a good cat. "As for those who never grew up in the clans... I don't know. If someone were a good cat in life I don't see why they wouldn't, but... Maybe there's other afterlives and they go somewhere else. I don't know." She admitted.

The dark forest did sound like a place where only bad things happened. He liked the sound of it all, though. He had not been a bad cat, and would continue to always mind his own where he could. Perhaps if he didn't make it out if this forsaken forest, these star clan cats would have mercy on him. He didn't know of any other beings like that, so if he did make it in... He would be quite thankful. "Star clan sounds ideal for a cat like me. Perhaps I'll try and find out more about it." There was a new found pep in his step. "I want to thank you, Wolfblossom, for being so kind to an old man like me. I have yet to run into trouble, but I'm glad it hadn't been with you." He enjoyed her company.

As they continued to walk, he took in the scenery: tall trees beginning to shrink the further they got from his original spot. "How much farther?"

Wolfblossom nodded at his words. What he did on his own was of little concern to her, but she hoped he would find what he sought all the same. "I see little point in starting trouble where there is none to be had." He'd wanted off of Skyclan territory as much as some of her more aggressive clanmates would have wanted him off of it had they seen the old loner.

"The river isn't much farther. It's our border, and a few other clans share that border, but it's neutral ground if you stay close to it." She said, it wouldn't be long before they could hear the water, and that meant they were nearly upon it.

Then they would stop when Wolfblossom says the word. "Do you have any family? Siblings, parents, friends? Are they kind to you?" Mr. Worm loved stories, especially stories about real lives. "Tell me about forest life."