☼WindClan: Home of the Swift and Loyal |☾ ☼ ϟ ≈ ☁| ☼

Blacktail sighed softly as he slipped back into camp, his legs aching more than usual. It was a sobering realization, that even the walk back to camp was becoming exhausting for the deputy. He felt a wave of guilt in him, that he must have looked weaker than ever during a time when he knew he needed to be strong for Windclan. Running on the moors was becoming more and more of a chore. And tunneling...it was harder and harder to crouch and push and work his way at the same speed as his younger tunnelers. Leading the tunneling projects at their pace would be next to impossible at this rate. Perhaps it was time that he finally accepted that he was reaching the last of his days as a Warrior.

It had been so long, hadn't it? The camp that had once been filled with the rambunctious cries of his brother, of Rainfeather and Beetleclaw, of Tabbywing and Rosethorn, Fallenwind...Scarstar, Starclan, Wolfstar before her, in the earliest moons of his life. And now, Swiftstar stood where they had stood, so new and young and full of life and peace in comparison. Different, but perhaps just what Windclan needed. To break the clear divide that had always existed between moor-runners and tunnelers, the divide that had ruined his own family, among other families. His own kits would hopefully grow to be able to do as they pleased, to tunnel or run or do both, if their hearts desired it. It was all that Blacktail had ever wanted, that his own kits would never feel themselves as disappointments for not following in his pawsteps and his alone. They did not need him to follow their paths. Slushfur, he knew she would support him. She always had, through every moon since he had fallen in love with her. He only hoped that he would not leave her side in her nest for too long.

These thoughts swirled around in his head, amongst the thought of who would take his place if he stepped down. Admittedly, he wanted it to be another tunneler, to balance out that representation until the day when cats could proudly say that they could do both. But, he also trusted his leader, that if a moor-runner was chosen, that they would not look down on the cats that supported the moors they ran upon. He tapped his tail lightly against the weakly growing grass, which would probably freeze away once leafbare came. Starclan, could he even bring himself to retire right before leafbare?...Though, he also supposed that a younger, stronger deputy might be the best sign of survival and strength that the clan needed.

(Sure! He could go out tunneling probably and pick up her scent in a tunnel near Highstones if that works.)

Hello!)

Sandfall watched as the cats from the gathering dispearsed, he sighed when everyone went to their respective nests and didn't say a peep about the gathering.

Goldheart slipped out of camp, he wanted some time alone. Perhaps he could hunt in the mean time.

Soulspirit lifted her head from where she was curled up in her nest and let out a yawn. She purred when she spotted her mate, “Are the others back from the gathering?” She asked, shifting uncomfortably. Her swollen belly had gotten bigger over the last few days, and Eclipsesky has said that she was further along than they had originally thought.

Cinderscar leaned down to press his muzzle close to his mate’s, the scarred tom looking both warmly and seriously at her.
“It was...certainly something. Shadowclan claimed Fourtrees to hunt until leaf-bare ends, and so many Warriors were lost in the fire...”

Meadowbrook’s fur flattened as she heard Brownleaf’s voice. Her heart skipped a beat, warm in her cold chest.
“I knew you would come here...this was our favorite place to tunnel. We’d slip out at night and look up at Highstones.” She reminisced, unafraid of his hiss. Her usual cold and calculating posture was warm and unguarded, her love for him the only love she had in her.

“I needed to see you, Brownleaf...”

Hey)

(popping in post)

Dashclaw followed the Clan back to camp with bristling fur. He felt like they just lost a battle. Sure, ShadowClan warned them about the fire, but it wasn't right that they were taking over Fourtrees and Swiftstar walked away! Dashclaw was positive that ShadowClan had their filthy stench all over Fourtrees by now and what was Swiftstar doing? Dashclaw snorted and looked for a place around camp where he could sleep.

(Sorry for poofing, I had to eat dinner)

Brownleaf flattened his ears, trying to ignore the way his heart warmed happily at the sound of her voice. He wished he could stop himself from loving her, but he just couldn’t. He swallowed, pushing the thought aside.
“You shouldn’t be here, Swiftstar ordered that if we saw you to kill you on the spot.” He tried to keep his voice even, to keep the shock and conflicting feelings out of it, but he wasn’t quite sure he succeeded.

Eclipsesky groaned at the call of his name, the tom had just fallen asleep. He got to his paws quickly regardless though and hurried out into the center of the camp, his eyes still blurry with sleep "What's wrong?"

“Of course I’d never fight you! Just— what if someone else found you here?” Brownleaf sighed. Meadowbrook was a stubborn cat, and she knew him too well to be fazed by what he said. It was clear she wasn’t going to leave either, he at least needed to hear her out.
“Fine, what is it?” He asked.

Soulspirit looked up at Eclipsesky, “I-I think so.” She said, flinching as another sharp pain went through her, “What if something is wrong?” She asked, worry for her kits running through her mind.

"Hey." Dashclaw purred softly when he reached his mate. He laid down beside her, breathing in a bit of relief that he was home by her again. "How was your night?"

Soulspirit looked at Eclipsesky and nodded her head, forcing herself to relax. The queen took a deep breath and made her tense muscles relax, “I understand.” She mewed, preparing herself.