Everlasting Love (Stormwind)

Streamfire eyed the younger warriors warningly. “Don’t be hostile until we get confirmation that they are hostile.” She warned.

Rainstorm didn’t respond to Amber, just staring down at the LoveClan territory with a frown, while Graycloud gave Amber a nod.

Oakfoot glanced towards Streamfires, getting tired of waiting around. “We need to confront them.” The tom Mewed darkly. “Rogues or not, we need to know why they’re poking at our borders.”

Echowshiper nodded, but her claws unsheathed into the ground in slight fear.

Amber let out a sigh of relief, turning towards the patrol. “Thank you guys, for helping me, and being patient when I got a little lost.”

Puddlepaw dipped his head to the former loner in acknowledgement, a smile on his muzzle.

Streamfire gave her a dry look. “They’d be hiding if that were true.”

Graycloud allowed a smile to form on her muzzle. “That’s great!”

“They could be trying to ambush us.” Echowhisper pointed out. Obviously, the cats of Loveclan had good reason to be distrustful of outsiders.

Oakfoot squinted in the direction of the strange cats, not that it helped much.

Amber nodded and lead the other three cats closer to the forest. She halted when she hit The strongly scented Loveclan border, sniffing the air quickly. “Their scent markers are still fresh,” The she-cat practically purred to the Dimclan patrol. “They must have survived the rogues!”

Graycloud nodded. “Yes, that seems best.”

Streamfire frowned. “It looks like they’re just waiting.”

“What do you want to do?” Echowhisper glanced towards her half-sister for leadership, eyes wide. She hadn’t had a taste of combat as the rest of Loveclan had, sidelined with her neck injury.

Amber glanced towards the forest. “So, I guess we go to the border and wait to see if a patrol comes by?”

Streamfire frowned slightly. “I can’t tell. The wind is blowing just a little off to scent them from here.”

Graycloud trotted after Amber just behind her, while Rainstorm was the last of the patrol, lingering in the back.

“Are they rogues?” Echowhisper mewled softly, realizing now that the movement was an organized looking group of cats.

Amber flicked her ears appreciatively, starting down the slope towards what she presumed was Loveclan’s territory. Puddlepaw followed. He’d helped save his mentor from falling into a river after a branch snapped under the older tom. In turn, Rainstorm had helped him when a fox attacked the patrol in their sleep. Because of Rainstorm’s intervention, Puddlepaw had only gotten a few scratches on his shoulder, where he might have died otherwise.

Streamfire narrowed her green eyes, staring intently at the cats that came into view.

Graycloud stopped beside Amber, looking out at the forest in front of them. “Good job, Amber.”

Echowhisper angled her ears towards a hill a bit further away. While there didn’t seem to be anything there at first, eventually movement was visible against the short grass that covered the terrain.

Amber stopped on the hill, glancing around to make sure she was oriented properly. Seeing as she had not partaken in the battle, fleeing the rogue Camp the night before, she had no idea how close she actually was to her goal.

“The rouge camp was over that way,” Mewed Amber, pointing behind them with her tail. “So, I think that would put Loveclan in that forest ahead of us.”

At her sister’s warning, Streamfire dropped into a crouch beside her, looking in the same direction as her but seeing nothing. “What do you see?”

Oakfoot stopped after a few slower pawsteps, cocking his head towards the battlefield. did I hear something?

“Get down!” Echowhisper hissed to the rest of her patrol, the petite, silvery-gray she-cat crouching low, her ears pinned back and her fur ruffled up as she stared at something unseen to the rest of them.

Streamfire hurried them past the battlefield as quickly as she could, calico fur prickling uncomfortably.

Oakfoot kept his eyes on the land just beyond the borders. He shuffled his paws a little uncomfortably as he gazed out over the border. They were now along the old border with the rogues, and the cats could see the battlefield on which Loveclan lives had been lost in the battle with the rogues.

Streamfire led the two cats through the forest, gaze flickering around their surroundings.

(Ok!)

A quarter moon later, and the next day was set to be the day of the special gathering. While the rest of the clan was back in camp, eagerly chattering about the day to come in the clearing, Streamfire, Echowhisper, and Oakfoot were on the sunset patrol.

Oakfoot And Echowhisper followed the lead of the elder cat.

(Sure. You do the skip?)

Duststorm gave Mossflower one last lick before falling asleep.

(Should we skip to the arrival of the Dimclan cats now?)

“They are,” she murmured drowsily, already half-asleep.

“They’re going to be so beautiful...” purred the tom, closing his own eyes behind his blindfold.

Mossflower rested her head on his chest, closing her eyes.

Duststorm purred continuously, Licking at whatever parts of her face he could reach.

Mossflower purred exhaustedly and let herself collapse on him, still connected.

Duststorm panted as well, Licking at the forepaw Mossflower had set on his chest.

Mossflower pulled away once she was unable to hold her breath any longer, panting.