Searching For Different Things [Swiftheart]

Graywind's stomach rumbled in malcontent, a low growl echoing the sentiment as the bird chirped, flying out of reach. Mocking her. With a huff, the pale warrior turned back to following the thunderpath, golden eyes sweeping over the strange stone and across the border. It was dusk, the sky darkening quickly, and she knew her pelt would stand out sharply in the gloom. A monster roared past, bright eyes lightening the surrounding area for a moment, and Graywind blinked, staring hard at the other side of the border. She could have swore there was a cat, or maybe it was simply the paranoid feeling of being watched. This was a border patrol, technically, but if anyone was on the other side of the thunderpath they would likely have seen her failed catch. Graywind had no intention of straying from Skyclan territory, at least not along this border, but her fur still prickled with unease all the same.

Swiftheart hadn’t ever given up searching for her lost brother since the rats had swarmed their camp. She had after the battle discovered some of his fur and the trail of his scent that led away from camp, but with all the rats and the swampy nature of their land the trail quickly disappeared altogether. She kept thinking back to the time herself, ratrunner and night had all been hiding out in this same marsh when they had lost the battle of the forgotten order. What if he was hurt like they all had been then? To weak to return to camp on his own and out here all alone? The thought of that made her head spin.

Night!? she called for him again and stood still straining her ear hoping for some reply… anything

Nothing.

Her voice was shot from calling for him for so long and she swallowed hard as the hope she had held was turning into dismay.

Don’t leave me too… whenever you are just hold on. I’ll be there soon she whispered. It was getting light out, far past her bedtime as the dawn was coming once more.

The rest of her clanmates were probably already asleep. They didn’t care to look for someone who had done that to the clan perhaps she thought sadly to herself. But she still loved him beyond anything and nothing could change that. Her brother wasn’t perfect and she could recognize the faults he had made but who was? They had been through it all together and that wasn’t going to end now if she has any say.

She was much too busy looking for any sign of more black fur or any trail left and didn’t see the missed catch by the skyclanner but she did eventually see her there on the other side of the border.

Perhaps she has seen or heard something? She thought optimistic as always.

She gave a friendly wave both to get the skyclanners attention and to ensure them that no I’ll intentions were about. Who would give themselves away if an ambush was coming?

After that whole redice mess she would be understanding if any skyclanner was wary of this border but, she hoped that anyone cloud also see that redice was one sick puppy and not a representative of their clan.

“Hello! I’m looking for a lost clanmate, I think he may have come this way. You haven’t seen anyone about have you? she shouted across the border.

VEOOOOONMMMMMM

A monster whished by sending a sting gust of wind at both the cats on either side of the thunder path

Swiftheart took several steps back, the memories of her late brother loudnose remained engrained in her head.


“Perhaps we could talk on one side or the ot—

VROOOOMMMMM

Another beast monster roared past. This was annoying enough to make even swiftheart sigh.


She flicked her tail gently wanting the skyclanner to come over so they could talk without this. Come come, it’s parlay. I promise it’s a truce I just wanna talk. Think of it as a gathering just check for them before you go acr—

Veooooooommmm

Once that monster had past, she waved her tail eagerly for her new friend to come over so they could actually talk.

A she-cat with fur that was paler than her own was calling to her from across the path, and Graywind turned her head sharply in that direction. Shadowclan scent was somewhat obscured by the filthy thunderpath, but not so much that Graywind was unaware of it. Looking for someone, it seemed.

"I haven't- Foxdung!" Graywind took a step back as a loud monster screeched past in a wave of foul wind, her ears flattening. Once it had gone, she spoke again, "I haven't seen any Shadowclanners recently." She mewed when her voice could be heard.

The request to talk on one side of the border was understandable, with how loud the passing monsters were, but Graywind's ears flattened once more at the request. The monsters raced past with such speed, she wasn't sure she could have crossed the thunderpath if she wanted to, truthfully. Perhaps it was cowardly to be afraid of such a thing, but Graywind preferred to think of it as common sense. "I am not crossing the thunderpath, I quite like my pelt." She called back, "And I don't think either of our clans would appreciate it if one of us did." Even if it was asked for, Shadowclan had a... reputation. And Graywind wasn't keen on crossing clan borders. If it were twolegplace... She shook the thought from her head.

"Who are you looking for? Maybe I can tell others to keep an eye out?" A missing clanmate sounded like a rogue to her, and that was something Wolfblossom and Birdstar would probably want to be aware of.

Perhaps her new friend was right. Landing any sort of trouble was the last thing she needed right now.

hmm okay. I’m looking for my brother. If you see him please help him find his way home she hoped night wouldn’t go marching off to skyclan and didn’t know why he would but in case for whatever reason he had gotten either lost or chased by something this way it might help to have someone there at least know.

Her brother? Graywind couldn't imagine one of her own siblings going missing, especially not at a time such as this when the forest was so barren of prey. It made her feel a bit sympathetic toward the she-cat, even if she was Shadowclan. "You're brother... Who? I'm sorry, I'm not... familiar with Shadowclan." She mewed as another monster roared past.

Swiftheart smiled, it seemed her friend had agreed to at least keep an eye out which was all she could really ask for.

She flicked her tail however a little uneasy. Night wasn’t exactly a low key figure after everything that happened.

His name is nightstalker she hesitated momentarily … umm you might know him as nightstar?

She was anxious that her new friend would be upset by that but hoped it wouldn’t be as such. She always was happy and looking to the best outcome.

Nightstalker wasn't a name she was familiar with, but the she-cat's admittance that this was the same cat as the former Nightstar made Graywind's tail fur bristle. "Your former leader is missing?" There was a hint of skepticism that Graywind couldn't quite hide as she wished. Her knowledge of Nightstar was limited, but from that gathering where he and the former Windclan leader had fought, what little she knew did not leave a good impression. Certainly not when that fight had led to so many cats injured. Nightstalker seemed like the type to cause trouble, from what Graywind gathered, his seeming disappearance could be a good thing for Shadowclan, or a bad thing for the rest of the forest. Though he seemed to hate Windclan far more than he paid attention to Skyclan, at least...

It would be something to keep in mind, for sure. "I'll... Keep an eye out." She mewed eventually, "I'd assume he knows better than to trespass, but if he doesn't..." The she-cat huffed. "I assume he'd be sent your way, provided he's not a threat to anyone."