Dim Light (Stormwind)

Shortly after Riverstar left his den, the rest of the cats in the tiny Clan started leaving their dens. Swiftstream joined Riverstar a few minutes after he left their warm nest.

(Works for me!)

Riverstar sighed as he exited his den, stretching out as the cool mountain air surrounded him. The sun turned the sky bright orange as it rose at his shoulder. Gazing out over his camp, The tom soon found his eyes directed over the horizon. So much mystery out there... looking in the direction of the hollow log where the strange loner lived, he then thought and even within our own borders.

(Sure. Hm. That’d be about a week later, right? Let them get a bit more settled into taking his orders first)

(Sure. Maybe to a point where Riverstar sends a patrol to find Loveclan! :3 )

“I miss them,” Swiftstream whimpered. 

(Time skip soon?)

“We’ll be with them again when it is our time, Swiftstream.” Riverstar soothed, sadly glancing affectionately down at Puddlepaw, grateful for the apprentice’s help in comforting the she-cat.

Swiftstream sniffled quietly and melted into the two toms’ embrace.

Puddlepaw saw Swiftstream struggling to keep it together and immediately padded up to her, snuggling against her along with Riverstar.

Swiftstream hid her face in his fur, taking deep, slightly shuddering breaths in an attempt to calm herself.

“They would have made fine warriors... each one talked to me as if they were many moons older and wiser than myself.” Riverflight continued, his voice wavering a little bit.

Puddlepaw had no memory of his littermates, and so watched his parents with a little bit of a detached stare.

“But that wasn’t their destiny. What they are are great members of Starclan.” Riverflight added, pressing close to his mate.

Swiftstream inhaled sharply, blue-green eyes widening. They looked a little glassy with sudden tears.

Riverstar swallowed, taking a moment to find the words to say what he wanted to say. Finally, he was able to smile sadly and mew “Flashkit and Streakkit were both there, at my ceremony. They looked older, almost old enough to be apprentices, and their coats were full and healthy.” Riverflight glanced over at his son before looking back at Swiftstream. “Flashkit gave me a life for knowing how fierce a queen’s love is. Streakkit’s life was for grief.”

Swiftstream blinked at her mate, tilting her head to the side. “Yes?” She questioned.

“I wasn’t sure I was ready either.” Riverstar admitted, giving his shoulder a few self-conscious licks. “But after journeying all the way back to the old territory, and then meeting my-our ancestors, I feel like I can do anything.” The tom was proud to be able to say that the cats he’d met were his kin, just as much as they were Swiftstream and Puddlepaw’s.

The apprentice smiled warmly, brushing his cheek against his father’s chest.

Then, Riverstar remembered what he had been meaning to tell Swiftstream since he’d descended from the mountaintop with her. “Swiftstream...” He mewed, his eyes growing a little sad. It was a happy kind of sad though, like when an elder was reliving good memories from many moons ago.

“Me either,” Swiftstream sighed, casting a glance at her mate. “He’s barely been deputy for more than a couple of moons.”

Riverstar purred loudly, brushing his flank against his son’s as the younger tom kept his face buried in his mother’s fur for just a while longer.

“I can’t believe dad’s leader now.” Puddlepaw huffed finally, pulling away from Swiftstream’s body after a few heartbeats.

Swiftstream purred softly, rasping her tongue over his ear. “We missed you too, Puddlepaw.”

Puddlepaw bounded forward, burying his face in his mother’s chest. “Mom, Dad. I missed you guys...” The young tom hadn’t even had the chance to say hello to them before they’d disappeared into their dens for sleep the previous day.

Swiftstream emerged from the den a few moments after her mate, letting out a yawn.

Amber didn’t have anything left to say either, walking back to camp alongside Rainstorm in silence.  I wonder what I’ve gotten myself into with this tom... at least it will be interesting.

Puddlepaw blinked when he saw his father emerge from the warrior’s den, but ran to greet him anyways, looking for his mother in case she was following Riverstar.

Rainstorm flicked an ear in acknowledgment but remained silent, tired of the conversation.

“Lucky for you then,” Amber mewled, shuddering as she thought of what she would do if she was threatened with the loss of a kit.

She glanced back towards Rainstorm, mewing a quick “Thank you, Rainstorm.” She playfully nidged the Tom’s shoulder, purring “Feel free to collect on your end of the bargain whenever you want.”

Rainstorm scowled. “No,” he muttered. “They considered it, but I got the feeling they really aren’t interested in toms and that’s why they tried to take Puddlepaw.”

“And what was that like?” Amber continued, eager. “Did their leaders try any of those shenanigans they wanted to try with Swiftstream?” While the clan hadn’t heard of the abuse that the poor she-cat went through, the rouge had been told what the rest of Dimclan knew about Swiftstream‘s time in captivity: that Jewel and Coffee had tried to keep Swiftstream prisoner and raise her son, Puddlepaw, as their own. Amber wondered if they’d tried to force Rainstorm to give them what they wanted another way.

Rainstorm grunted in response, feeling that the answer was obvious as he’d already said so.