Highs (closed)

Galestorm

Still stunned from today's earlier events, Galestorm decided to stretch his legs. WindClan had been camped for a few sunrises while cats renewed their energy, and so much had happened since they were driven from the southern lake. Goldengale had passed away, Fennelbreeze kitted a whole nursery full of kits, and Galestorm and his sister had been given their warrior names. So many emotions whirled around in his chest, and he was growing restless.

His paws led him out of the tiny camp and towards a well-trodden trail that cut through the valley just off the path where WindClan had veered off to settle, mainly so Fennelbreeze could have her kits. The trail smelled of countless cats now as all of the clans had moved through here already. Galestorm crossed over it and into the snow on the other side, making his way toward a large pile of boulders.

He pounced up easily onto the first one, scattering snow in his wake. The rock was rough and cold and foreign beneath his paws. He scrunched up his nose and looked above him, where he found a ledge leading to a little crevice. He bunched his muscles in his legs and pounced, catching the rock with his claws and hauling himself up onto the ledge. From here, he could even see the tiny WindClan settlement in the distance. As the sun was beginning to set, the small clearing looked empty. Galestorm followed carefully along the ledge and entered the crevice, a welcomed break from the wind.

It was deeper than it looked, and he followed it as it pushed back into the mountainside, abruptly opening up into a small, cozy chamber. The scent here was unrecognizable and fresh, and Galestorm thought he heard the distant sound of rushing water somewhere deeper within.

It's peaceful here, he thought, and padded around the small chamber. This could be a decent place for a den, if a clan ever settled down here. Galestorm imagined the chamber full of nests and sleeping cats, and his heart ached for the southern lake camp, long left behind now. He wondered idly what the forest camp would look like. He had seen bits and pieces of WindClan's territory in his visions with Sageleaf, and he looked forward to returning to it and feeling it beneath his own paws.

A sound suddenly jerked Galestorm back from his daydreams. The sound of light pawsteps and fur brushing against the entrance to the chamber. Galestorm lowered himself into an instinctive crouch, his eyes narrowed.

"Who's there?" he hissed threateningly, "Are you from WindClan?"

To be honest, Cloudypetal didn't intend for her paws to lead her to her brother. She needed time by herself to think about everything - the wolves, her home, Gouge, warriorhood - in hopes that Silverpelt would listen and light her path. Unfortunately, her brother's scent had led her here instead. It was bittersweet. As a kit, she'd need his scent to feel safe from these feelings and now, as a warrior, she was on edge.

She had been trying to go back to WindClan's settlement whenever she had displaced a few stones, causing them to loudly roll and tumble. She released a soft sigh as he hissed - realizing she had no choice but to face him, alone.

"Don't worry." She mewed quietly as she peeked into the entrance. "It's just me. You okay?"

Galestorm

Galestorm's muscles were tensed to strike, when the familiar sound of Cloudypetal's voice rang through the cave and her face appeared from around the corner. Relaxing, Galestorm let out an audible breath of relief.

"Oh, sorry Cloudypetal," he mewed with a playful tone. "I wasn't expecting you." He relaxed his shoulders and lowered himself into a sitting position, tucking his tail over his paws. Am I okay? His sister's question seemed to echo flatly in his mind. Am I? He shuffled his paws.

"Well, we're both warriors now," he said, his eyes dancing around the chamber. "And, um..." his gaze met Cloudypetal's hazel eyes. How do I tell her what's been bothering me for so long? he pondered. How can I tell her how regretful I am? How I'm afraid things will never be the same? A familiar pang in his chest brought back the memories of the night he scarred his sister, and certainly disappointed their father. But that's behind us now...

"Cloudypetal," he started slowly, her name hanging in the air like frozen mist, "Do you remember the night we spent together beneath Silverpelt, when we made the promise to become great warriors together and make our father proud?" His amber gaze searched her, trying to find a hint of his sister from way back then. Galestorm swallowed, the sound oddly audible in this strange little chamber. "I was thinking about that today, when we were being named warriors. That was the thought that came to the front of my mind. And I remembered back then I felt like it was my duty to help you become a strong warrior, too, but... after what happened..." his voice began to choke off as emotion smothered his expression and he turned away. "...I can't tell you how sorry I am, Cloudypetal, for everything that happened back then. I acted irrationally, and I can never take it back. You didn't need me to become a strong warrior, after all." Casting a brief glance back over his shoulder, he continued. "I just know Hailstorm was watching over you through it all. I know he would be proud of you," Galestorm inhaled a shaky breath. "...Is, proud of you."

There was a moment of silence, and Galestorm thought for a moment that Cloudypetal had left him there alone in the chamber, but when he turned around, she was there. His eyes were wet with tears he was holding back.

"I'm proud of you, too, my sister," he mewed softly, nearly a whisper. "Although it may not mean much coming from me."

Ah, there it was. Cloudypetal's hazel eyes bore the weight of both the past and the present, dancing with shock as she stared blankly at him. The audacity that he even brought it up froze her in the cave's entrance. For moons, he had feigned normalcy and played the part as her brother - but it wasn't until he realized she could thrive without him that he tried to sought their closeness again. How could he do this to her now? The memories of that night clashed with the sincerity that laced his voice; the slash through her now flattened ear being a permanent reminder. And, there he was... Crying.

She inhaled deeply and sighed, breaking the heavy silence. With a hesitant paw forward, she sat across from him. "Galestorm," She began, her voice measured, "I think of that night every single time I close my eyes. I appreciate your apology, I really do, but I'll never be able to erase the pain of my brother hurting me and then pretending like nothing happened. Forgiveness is a journey."

A pause hung in the air, but only briefly. She flicked her tail, desperate for some sort of release from the emotions she felt suffocated by. She felt the pull of loyalty to her family, the desire for closure - she wanted to rest her head on his, tell him she loves him and groom his soft fur. Yet, she remained still with her gaze fixed on him. "But know this: I want to believe, brother, that we could heal together and rebuild what we used to have. If it's any reassurance, I probably won't see Gouge again. I bet that makes you feel real good, doesn't it?"

Galestorm

Galestorm couldn't help but be aware of how carefully his sister seemed to be picking her words. Every night she closes her eyes? He winced. She'll never be able to erase the hurt of her brother hurting her. Galestorm hung his head. Forgiveness is a journey. Indeed it is. Galestorm remembered the eerie omen Daisyfang had told him back at the lake. He thought that maybe apologizing to Cloudypetal would help them both heal from the incident, but it was evident now that it would be a long, difficult path. It was hard to forgive his sister for sneaking away from camp so often to spend time with a rogue... but Galestorm understood why it would be even harder for her to forgive him for attacking her.

I probably won't see Gouge again. The words felt like cold teeth piercing his ears.
"Gouge was his name, was it?" he meowed, his deep voice quiet and calm. What a horrible sounding name. He took a deep breath. "Cloudypetal," he meowed, "I'm... sorry that you lost a friend, no matter how I felt about him." The words were almost sharp on his tongue, difficult to speak. He took a step closer to his sister. "Listen," he mewed, draping his tail over her back in a familiar gesture, "we both lost cats that we care about since fleeing from the lake. You lost your friend, and I lost my mentor."

Galestorm leaned into Cloudypetal's fluffy pelt. He was suddenly aware of the fact that his sister had outgrown him. Not only was Cloudypetal a large cat, similar to himself, like their father - she had the long, thick coat, too, which seemed to nearly double her size.

"This journey hasn't been easy for either of us. But," his voice rasped into a purr, "I am grateful that no matter what we've been through, we still have each other."

Gouge was his name, was it? Cloudypetal's gaze dropped to the cold floor of the cave. Was. She had said that to hurt Galestorm, even just a little, but his calm response made her realize that she'd never, truly, see Gouge again. It was true. The handsome rogue on WindClan's border will no longer be there waiting for her. She'll never hear his voice ever again - smooth as a sun-warmed stone in the open moor, his whispered secrets of rogue life carried by the wind, or the warmth of his words caressing her like the gentle touch of a breeze through the tall grass of their true home. She had took all of that for granted. Everything that she was urged her to raise to her paws and seek the comforting warmth of his battlescarred pelt. Yet, she remained - anchored by the responsibilities of being a WindClan warrior. She had thrown that all away. Worse, she had pretended she hardly knew the tom when faced with perceived consequences of her clanmates. She felt a pang of guilt. Gouge, I hope you're alive - and one day, our paths will meet again. I will make sure of it.

Lifting her gaze to lock with Galestorm's, she couldn't help but yearn for Gouge's powerful amber gaze instead. She had to be the bigger cat - and she had to let him know how wrong he was about the way he felt. "I'm really sorry, Galestorm, and I'll always be here. You'll always have me. I know how much Goldengale meant to you, she was an incredible cat." She mewed softly. "Gouge was that for me, despite your 'differences'. He was amazing -  an adventure - he taught me so much, and he was the best company you could've ever dreamed of. He had seen things you could not even comprehend and he spoke of amazing stories." Her eyes sparkled as she spoke about this tom, remembering the times they had together. You could almost envision the shared moments they had, mirrored in her hazel orbs, as if the memories themselves were captured in the depths of her mismatched gaze.

"I lied to him, you know." She continued. "I lied that I was just an every day rogue, just like him. And he was there - as we were trying to help Goldengale. He saw me. The last thing he'll remember of me is that I tried to pretend like he didn't exist in my life, out of fear of backlash. Do you realize how that feels? How unfair that is? Just because of some code some cats made before I was born - rules I have no choice in but to obey or else I'll never see you or Morningmoon ever again?" Her voice cracked with pain, quivering with guilt. "I don't even know if he's still alive. I hope so."

She leaned into her brother's warmth in return, tears welling up. For now, this would have to do. She needed Galestorm. She took deep breaths - his scent was nostalgic, reminding her of times that she desperately wishes she could go back to. It was simpler. She would give it all to return to cramped nights in the nursery. She'd get to meet Gouge all over again, and this time? It would be different.

After a short pause, she broke the silence once more. "What was she truly like? You know, Goldengale. I never got the chance to know her like you did."

Galestorm

You'll always have me.
I'll always have her?
Galestorm didn't understand why he felt so surprised by his sister's comforting words, but he embraced them and leaned into her with a purr. That's right, we will always be here for each other. He rested his head on Cloudypetal's shoulder and sighed. The memory of Goldengale made his chest hurt. "Goldengale was amazing," he echoed.

He listened as Cloudypetal spoke about her rogue friend. Galestorm had to put effort into keeping his fur flat as his sister absolutely gushed over a filthy rogue... the best company you could've ever dreamed of? Galestorm felt like his stomach was full of brambles. Not me? Still, he swallowed down his feelings of jealousy and resentment. He's gone now, he assured himself silently. The threat has passed. In an effort to support Cloudypetal, he nodded.

"I'm sure he had some... very interesting stories, indeed," he managed to choke out with measurable effort. StarClan help me, he prayed. I'm trying so hard. Every single word Cloudypetal spoke about Gouge was like getting his own ears clawed. He couldn't see the look in her eyes, but he could hear it in the tone of her voice. Galestorm thought about how close she had been to actually breaking the warrior code. Perhaps it is a blessing from StarClan that we were driven out before she did something truly terrible with that rogue. The thought comforted him. Yes, it must have been StarClan's will. As much as Galestorm didn't want to acknowledge it, his sister was absolutely mooning over this tom. He thought back to his apprentice days, when he admired Daisyfang from afar. He had managed to get past his own feelings out of respect for her and the medicine cat code she was bound by. Would Cloudypetal had been able to stop herself? Galestorm suppressed a shudder.

He was snapped back to reality when Cloudypetal's strangled voice admitted she had lied to Gouge. This piqued Galestorm's interest. He pulled away to look at his sister in the eyes, torn between compassion and bewilderment at everything that was spilling out of her.

"You told him you were a rogue?" he echoed, his voice revealing nothing but astonishment. "Why in StarClan's name would you do that?" His eyes grew wider still as he realized Gouge had been there - within his reach. "Was that the small black loner that came to us asking for help?" That seemed to make sense, actually. It had seemed so bizarre that some random lone cat would come seeking assistance from his clan at such a dire time. What an unimpressive tom, he caught himself thinking. Oops. Shut up, Galestorm, you mouse-brain. Don't you dare say that to her. He clamped his jaws shut tight. His thoughts had nearly distracted him from the rest of what Cloudypetal was saying about the warrior code. The warrior code... unfair? Galestorm's eyes narrowed into slits. Some code some cats made? But his gaze softened.

Galestorm understood complicated. That's what this was. Extremely complicated for his sister.
He tucked his tail around her. "No worries, sister," he cooed. "Mother and I will always be here for you. You've been going through so much. I'm sorry I wasn't the great brother I said I would be." He rasped his rough tongue over his sister's forehead like he had done when they were kits. "I promise I won't stop trying to be better, and make it up to you." He had chosen to ignore her alarming words... for now. As her heart heals, she will feel different, he assured himself. "He was a rogue, right? He could take care of himself. I'm sure he's probably still alive." Galestorm surprised himself with how smooth his words felt. All he was concerned about how was helping his sister feel better again.

There was a short silence as his sister calmed down beneath him. Her next question surprised him.

What was Goldengale like?

"I'll never forget the first time I saw her take down a hare. It was like she turned into a totally different cat. She took it down with so much passion and ferocity, and her jaws were covered in blood afterwards. I thought she was the coolest cat I'd ever seen." His heart ached with every word as he remembered his mentor. "I couldn't have asked for a better mentor." He sighed again. "She died a true warrior's death, trying to save the clan from those horrible wolves. I miss her deeply, but I am so proud of her." He recalled the sound of her warcry as she leaped at the wolf, claws outstretched, and felt a pang of guilt as he remembered how he had left her there. I couldn't have saved her, he reminded himself. "Because of her sacrifice, and Tigerstar's life, the rest of the clan was able to get to safety with minimal injuries. She died for her clan. There is no greater honorable death, I think. That's how I would want to go, too." His eyes flicked sideways at his sister. "Now I know she will watch over the clan from her place in StarClan."

Cloudypetal listened to Galestorm's words - feeling a mixture of comfort and turmoil that danced in her gaze. His embrace was warm, his fur soft, his purr a smoothing nostalgic melody... But his demeanor remained the same. The tension remained the same. He stumbled over his strained sentences and the desperation in his voice as he echoed back to her made it clear he didn't fully understand. You could feel it. Yet, she embraced it and leaned into him. This was her brother, despite all the turmoil. It was nice to have this again, even if it was for a little while. She was expecting that, at any moment, Galestorm could suddenly change and rake his claws across her face - despite his promise. It felt so good to get this off of her chest, though. It was complicated.

"Stars, no..." She blurted out as he asked about the slender loner who had asked for their help alongside Gouge. They seemed to be a couple. She cringed, remembering the desperation in his eyes. "That wasn't him. He was the other cat that came with him. I don't know who that was. Gouge is massive with a thick coat - bigger than both of us combined. I care about him, Galestorm. More than I thought I would. I didn't lie about being a rogue to hurt anyone - not you, not Gouge, not mom - I didn't want him to see me as a clan cat, though, at least when we met. How was I supposed to know in that moment that I would embrace 'Cloudy'?" She admitted. It was really hard to say, at least to this cat. The last time they had spoken of Gouge was Galestorm threatening to tell Sootstorm. In hindsight, maybe it was a good idea if Galestorm didn't know what Gouge looked like. Too late. "If our paths cross again, I hope he is still savoring the free life he treasured. And, I hope he'll understand why I chose honesty."

Galestorm painted a picture of a she-cat Cloudypetal wished she had known better. She wished she had been a part of that bond. Her chest felt heavy as Galestorm spoke of Goldengale's sacrifice. She felt a pang of guilt. She had yet to truly mourn the she-cat, because she didn't know how. How was she supposed to mourn a cat she didn't truly get to know? She felt disgusting for comparing her loss of Gouge to Galestorm's very real grief - for all she knew, Gouge was still alive. Worse? Galestorm wanted to die as Goldengale did. It made her stomach turn.

"She was an incredible cat, Galestorm." She whispered. "Truly. I'm so, so sorry for your loss. She deserved to be buried at home. When we get there, we need to honor her."

And.. That was all she could say. She wasn't quite sure what he needed. But, she was there. That was all she could do.