Rest and Healing (Thunderclan gathering)

A deep breath escaped Acornstem as she helped lead her Clan through the territory. Even in the depths of Leaf-bare, perked ears allowed her to hear the faint sound of prey...A sound that sent a wave of relief down her spine. It was over - ThunderClan was home and the reason for the journey - to allow the forest to heal - had been a success. Finally, the camp entrance came into view but as she opened her mouth to call out to the Clan - a rush of scents struck her.

Cats she didn't recognize - and one she faintly did... And they were fresh.

Her fur prickled along her spine as she raised her tail to motion to her Clanmates. "Intruders-" she called out to them, fear spreading through her. There...She had feared aspects of predators moving in while they were gone but the idea that other cats would take the opportunity was... She hadn't considered it. She couldn't quite tell how many different smells it was but it didn't... Seem like a lot but the Clan was tired after their trip... She frowned as she stared at the entrance. "...Do not attack - we will see if they will peacefully stand down."

Acornstem pushed forward with that, slipping through the entrance as she came to a stop at the middle of the clearing. "Intruders - we know you are here! You are outnumbered, come out so we may talk this though reasonably," she called out as she spared a look around. At a simple glance, it seems they hadn't damaged the camp any - in fact it was still in rather good condition beneath all of the snow that had fallen. She glanced over her shoulder at her Clanmates - wishing that their return hadn't been complicated by rogues or loners taking refuge in their camp from the elements.

Acornstem has led the charge home but caught the scent of their unexpected guests. She has ordered ThunderClan not to attack so they can hopefully sort this peacefully and has called out to those who have been living in the abandoned camp.

Silverpaw padded into camp, the buzz of excitement thrumming in their veins. home! How long had it been? “We are home!” she mewed to the apprentice beside her. Faraday, now Flickerpaw, had been excellent company, causing them surprisingly little trouble on the trek home. It seemed everyone was exhausted and scared, just wanting to get home in one piece… Or as close to one piece as they could manage. The closer they had gotten to the camp the thinner the blanket of snow had become. While still cold, there was only the occasional patches, and Silverpaw noted too that prey scent was in the air unlike the last time they had been here. But there was something else, something unfamiliar laying over the stale scent of ThunderClan and the other smells of the forest. The pelt along Silverpaw’s spine prickled. They did not like surprises, she had hoped their clanmates could finally relax, maybe celebrate, but those plans would have to be halted by the foreboding nature that loomed in their home.

Acornstem sensed it too, calling out to ThunderClan. Intruders… That didn’t seem so bad… Still they weren’t exactly welcome. Instinctively, Silverpaw put herself between Flickerpaw and the possible lurking threat. She probably didn’t need to do that, but she had spent most of the journey carrying the young cat on their back, it was hard to not think of them as that little kit, but as an apprentice now. Curious green eyes skimmed over the forms of the rogues, lingering as they took them in. They didn’t look all that threatening… A queen, an apprentice, a warrior… (as the clans would call them) Oh, he seems daunting… Quailprowler had taught her not to show weakness and Silverpaw was different from the meek kit that had been apprenticed several moons ago, the lithe she-cat pushed themself to be taller, and puffed out their chest. She was amongst the tallest in the clan already, so why not use that to be imposing, like the ferals did with their own size. They were naturally intimidating though she supposed. Not really to her, or the little Faraday it seemed, Silverpaw had never dwelled on their sheer size. Maybe the rogues in camp would be scared of the ferals too. They were also greatly outnumbered, if they were smart they’d wait for Mottlestar to decide what to do with them.

Silverpaw protecting Flickerpaw if the rogues try anything

The kits wouldn't come.

Sleepycloud had no accurate understanding of when they might arrive. For the past moons, she had no medicine cat around and no other queens to share their experiences in that to expect. Stars above, she felt large. This couldn't be normal, right? Just moving took effort! So, when the smells and sounds of other cats began to reach her ears, Sleepycloud had to give all her effort to haul herself from the nursery. Her normal tiredness had turned into a weight that nearly held her down. But she knew that if this was ThunderClan returning, then Sleepycloud had to greet them and put the best paw forward in their attempts to join them.

Green eyes flicked towards where the others were staying, willing them to join her. Possibly the only perk to carrying so many kits for so long was that the cold snow did not bother her as much as it usually would have. So, when she sank to the ground at the nursery's entrance, Sleepycloud tucked her paws under her, warming them against the frigid temperatures. Moving further wasn't an option; she was hungry and oh so very tired.

"Stormsong--" Sleepycloud called, cutting herself short when more and more cats began to arrive. Thankfully, her attempts at maintaining the camp meant that the entrance tunnel could handle this many cats streaming in. The deputy, whom she didn't recognize, stood tall amongst the growing crowd. "We have no will to harm anyone-- Ugh.." The queen struggled to stand, trying to greet them all, but very suddenly remembered why she couldn't in the first place.

Fear trickled into her spine, knowing that if things turned south, she might not be able to protect herself or her future kits.

Stormsong had his nose nuzzled against the turf of his mate's scruff, somewhere between praying to StarClan for the health of his family and wondering when he should go search for their next meal. The queen would need all the strength they could afford, especially with no medicine cat around. Suns and stars forbid if anything happened to her, he already knew that he would never forgive himself.

In his uncertain haze, he hadn't noticed their newcomers until Sleepycloud had sprung to her feet - and he quickly pushed himself in front of her. "I didn't know we'd be expecting company," he chuckled, trying to claw his way through tension, but eying every cat as they stepped in. "This is ThunderClan territory, what business do you have here?" The silver tabby stood as tall as he could, cold blue eyes sweeping over the growing crowd. No familiar faces yet. If they were rogues, they were trouble - and in the back of his mind he started to puzzle their escape together.

Mottlestar had found herself towards the back of the crowd, only pausing to check on her clanmates. The exhaustion that had tugged down into her bones was seeming to let up just enough as she watched several spines of her clanmates go on alert, as well as the voice of her deputy. Pushing forward, it was at that moment that she caught the hint of a voice...

This is ThunderClan territory, what business do you have here?

... That was a voice she knew.

Perhaps from the exhaustion, or the mere disbelief at what she was hearing, it was hard to keep the exhausted quip off of her tongue. "Stormsong, is that any way to talk to Thunderclan's deputy?" The tortoiseshell chided to her former apprentice and adoptive kin. She had no clue where the tom had been, but there was absolutely no mistaking the multicolored pelt that she saw. The cat beside him had a much more feathery and gentle look, by no means a cat that she'd seen in Thunderclan. Had he found a mate in his wandering? She had the faint appearance of the ancestries she'd seen in Riverclan, but it was perhaps just a coincidence from the tortoiseshell spending so much time with Perchstar.

"Acornstem, the tom is Stormsong. A former apprentice of mine... a member of Thunderclan. If he's found his way here, he's to be treated as a Thunderclan warrior. Fawnshine, can you check on them?" It absolutely took no amount of effort for the tortoiseshell to know exactly what was going on with the she-cat that stood at Stormsong's side. Stars knew she'd had her fare share of litters of kits to last her a lifetime. Even as the pungent odor of other stung her nose, Thunderclan's bracken scent sullied out of the earth from their time away, there was still the lifeline of home that she knew. For all she cared, Stormsong and the she-cat that had bonded with him would be fine.

Others, though...

She swept her gaze across the camp. "Thunderclan, we are indeed home. Keep an eye out for any others who may be around, but send them to me first..." Her order rang out clear, even as it was no secret that everyone was exhausted. She sent a look to Acornstem, one that told her that there would be no need to be on the defense. There was more than plenty of them to defend their camp, even in the event of any hostility. Her nose had her gaze trailing towards the edge of the crowd, though, and it was at that moment that she caught the glimpse of fur that immediately caused her to do a double-take.

Now that was a pelt she wasn't forgetting in her lifetime. But... younger?

Blazefang’s heart skipped several beats as she took in the face before her. She’d only met her briefly at Gatherings, but she never forgot the faces of her family. With Dayquill perishing on the journey, Blazefang had been alone, threatening to sink into the fog of depression, but here was someone new to live for. “Sleepycloud?” she mewed, almost afraid to believe her eyes. “Is that you? Stars, you’ve grown! Do you remember me?”

Blazefang has spotted her niece!

Sleepycloud felt relief flood into her. Stormsong said he was close with Mottlestar before, so they had hoped to find shelter with Stormsong's former clan. Now that Sleepycloud's new leader accepted them--the stress melted away, much unlike the snow that iced the forest. It wouldn't be easy dealing with the distrustful eyes that lingered on her, but at least--

Sleepycloud paused, ears perking up to catch sight of a vaguely familiar face that only became more familiar as time passed. Was it...? "Blazefang...?" Her father had made sure to introduce them momentarily, and only occasionally did she talk with her. But the friendly face before her let whatever fear she had left disappear. "Of course I do." She purred, wrapping her tail around her ever-growing cold paws. "I guess you could say I've grown in more ways than one." She was older, sure, but much rounder.

Green eyes caught the movement of Fawnshine, a medicine cat she remembered from gatherings off-handedly. Sleepycloud wasn't sure that the she-cat could give her herb because the snow killed most of the plants. However, just the knowledge that the experienced medicine cat could offer would be far more helpful than what she had before. She readied herself to follow any instruction given, hopeful that maybe her late pregnancy could be rectified soon.

ooc; if you want to do a separate topic, Arcana, please let me know! Perhaps we could make that the kitting topic. I just don't want to take this one over ^^'

"Mottlestar?" He echoed back, blue eyes wide as the warrior was dumbfounded. Confusion hadn't crossed his face for too long, a purr quickly rose in his throat as he recognized his old mentor and the stern, teasing look that was all too familiar to him. Stormsong had almost been convinced the entire forest had been wiped out. To see her warm face once more was the greatest relief.

But of course, it surprised him all the more when he heard his mate's name called out by a stranger. Other cats stirred behind him and he shifted uneasily on his paws. "None of the cats that remain here are of any danger, I swear it --" The tom asserted at once before the opportunity slipped away.

Quailprowler followed close behind Mottlestar. Her eyes narrowed at the rogues in the camp, her large and feral claws digging into the ground in restrained anger. The words of Mottlestar and this strange, silver tom didn't comfort her. She loomed in the leader's confident shadow, just in case.

Acornstem couldn't help but reel in surprise as one of the intruders - a tom, questioned her on her business on ThunderClan's territory. Her fur started to prickle but it was mostly from sweeping confusion as it was clear that this tom thought he was an ally of ThunderClan but if she didn't recognize him or his companion, how long had they...? Before she could find the words to respond, Mottlestar was pushing to the front and scolding this 'Stormsong.'

The deputy's haunches lowered as the leader quickly introduced the two - an old apprentice of hers and an ex-warrior... Who was quickly to be welcomed back at such. The deputy nodded, letting her fur lie flat as Mottlestar called out the Clan to be on alert and send any other unfamilar faces that might be lurking still. The mysterious she-cat at Stormsong's side was quickly named as Sleepycloud as Blazefang happily raced to greet her.

Acornstem smiled softly as Stormsong finally found the words to respond to Mottlestar, listening as he started to swear that anybody else within the camp wasn't a danger. "That's good to hear," she responded, before dipping her head to the pair. "I apologize for my slight hostility - we've had quite the journey and guests in our camp were the last thing we were expected. As Mottlestar said, I'm Acornstem - deputy of ThunderClan," she introduced herself as she gave the two a tired but honest smile. "I am sure you have questions - once everybody is settled and have had time to rest, we'll gather up our guests and speak about everything. Does that sound good to you, Mottlestar...?" she drifted off as she turned to glance at the leader, realizing that Mottlestar was staring off in shock at another cat - a stranger - who was lurking in the back.