Everlasting Love (Stormwind)

The whole clan was now watching them in silence, waiting to see if the fight would continue. Sterlingflight stopped where he was and waited for her to do whatever it was she was going to do.

"I know," Streamfire grumbled, giving her tail one last lick before flicking it out of her paws. "It's fine."

Sterlingflight felt Streamfire’s glare pierce his heart, walking up closer to The she-cat to apologize earnestly.  “Streamfire,” He mewed, “I didn’t mean to do that, you dodged and I...”

Streamfire pulled her tail to her, giving it a few licks and her father a wounded glare.

Sterlingflight jumped back, murmuring a “Sorry!” To The She-cat, his tail flicking as he stood back from his daughter for a moment.

Streamfire tried to tug her tail out from underneath Sterlingflight, who still had a paw on it. "Ow, ow, get off!"

Sterlingflight stumbled again, turning to face Streamfire with a concerned look on his face after hearing her pain.  He didn’t know what had caused it, but all the same he wasn’t going to take advantage of it.  That was unfair.

Streamfire managed to mostly dodge his leap but one of his paws landed on her tail, jerking her to a halt even as she let out a pained yelp.

Sterlingflight managed to dodge around her lunge, but only barely, feeling the she-cat’s forepaw run over his flank fur. The calico quickly whipped around and tried to leap onto Streamfire once she landed from her lunge.

Streamfire jumped back instead of darting to the right, skipping back forward almost before she finished moving backwards, lunging for her father.

Sterlingflight watched her carefully for another few heartbeats, sizing up The she-cat before him. He then lunged at Streamfire, making like he was going to hit her from the left.

Streamfire backed off again once she got the blow in, ears pinning back.

Duststorm purred quietly and playfully pawed at her muzzle, his ear falling victim to her gentle bites.

Sterlingflight stumbled backwards a few steps after being hit by Streamfire’s powerful chest shot, The tom crouching low once he recovered, looking for a weakness to exploit in his daughter’s stance.

Mossflower nipped playfully at his ear.

Streamfire ducked underneath the blow, darting forward and lashing out with a powerful strike at his chest.

“You almost don’t sound excited,” Teased Duststorm, nudging Mossflower playfully with his shoulder as she slid close to him to watch the last fight.

Sterlingflight smirked. “Fine,” The tom Mewed, taking the first move by lashing at Streamfire’s muzzle with his forepaw.

"Fine," Mossflower sighed, pressing against her mate. "But you're starting it."

Streamfire didn't rise to the bait, green eyes narrowed and tail flicking back and forth as she waited.

Oakfoot snorted as well at Willowheart’s joking pomp. “Fine, I guess I’ll stay neutral as well,” chortled The tom, happy to be sitting with her as he turned to watch the fight begin.

Sterlingflight knew that his daughter would be just as calculating as him, and that he wouldn’t be able to win with one clever move as he had against Graycloud. He made no immediate move, staring Streamfire down, egging her on instead.

Duststorm waited, ears perked towards Mossflower to see if she would be in on his idea with him.

"I've decided to stay neutral," Willowheart said loftily before snorting. "No, but really, I'm not rooting for anyone. I don't really care."

Rainstar gave a nod to signal the start of the fight. Streamfire didn't immediately lunge for her father, tensing her muscles as she dropped into a fighting crouch.

Mossflower huffed, frowning thoughtfully.

Duststorm pinned his ears back, hoping his mate’s gasp wouldn’t attract attention from the rest of the crowd around the hollow. After glancing around them to ensure their correspondence would remain confidential, The tom added “Don’t you think it would be fun? Nobody would know what to do at first. The looks on their faces would be hilarious.” The tom gave the side of her neck a lick. “And after that, who knows? We might get in trouble... but some of the others might join in as well, like that time in the medicine den.”

Sterlingflight purred, looking to his mate to show that he was ready to begin.

Oakfoot glanced between the deputy and his daughter, and then to Willowheart. “Who are you rooting for in this case?” The tom asked curiously, knowing the medicine cat was related to both of the fighters as well.

Mossflower’s eyes widened and she whirled to face her mate directly, looking stunned. “What?” She gasped.

Streamfire grinned back. “As if I’d let you. It would be insulting.”

Sterlingflight grinned at his daughter as she approached him, essentially his splitting image, especially now that she was fully grown and had lived like a warrior for moons.  “It’s an honor,” The tom purred, “But don’t expect me to take it easy on you.”  The competitions and fun of the day seemed to have lifted the strange cloud that the tom had been living in since the battle, the deputy seeming much more like his normal self.

Duststorm swallowed, almost becoming so unsure of the suggestion he was about to make that he was about to discard it completely.  However, he gathered himself and smiled softly at his mate, giving the inside of her ear a teasing lick.  “After your race, when everyone comes back to camp...” The tom purred, leaning even closer in.  “...I want to jump on you and mate in the middle of the clearing, with everyone else there.”

Mossflower gave her mate a side glance and murmured back, “What sort of crazy?”

After taking a minute to rest, Streamfire padded into the middle of the clearing to face her father.

Sterlingflight cheered his daughter’s name loudly along with the rest of Loveclan when she prevailed over the Dimclan cat.  The calico deputy padded into the center of the clearing, his eyes keen as he waited for his daughter to join him.

Duststorm purred affectionately, turning his head and licking at his mate’s ear in return.  The She-cat hadn’t become obviously pregnant in the roughly quarter-Moon since they’d started trying for a second litter, but even still the tan tabby had been noticeably more affectionate, and he was in an even better mood now that he could see again.  

Playfully, Duststorm leaned in to whisper into his mate’s ear after he licked it.  “Want to do something a little crazy?”

The fight between Graycloud and Streamfire only lasted for a minute longer before Streamfire won out against the less-experienced warrior.

Mossflower drew her tongue over his ear.

Sterlingflight got off of his daughter once the count hit seven, making him the victor in this fight. He would now face off against whoever won the fight between Graycloud and Streamfire, the tom eagerly turning to watch that fight.

Duststorm settled beside Mossflower, leaning into his mate. He was a little disappointed that he’d lost.