Fallen Holly Leaves (Storm)

Fallen Leaves, sitting beside Holly Leaves, watched eagerly, seeming to be enamored with the kits.

Half Moon gently encouraged her daughter to open her eyes, and finally the white-furred kit did so, revealing the blue eyes that all kittens had for the beginning of their life.

Leafbare was obviously harsh on the group of mountain cats, and a few even lost their lives under varying circumstances, be it the weather, eagles, or suddenly just vanishing, never to be heard of again. Despite this, there was a jovial mood inside the cave on this day. Half-Moon has kitted not long ago, and now, the entire community of cats was gathered around her as one of her kits opened its eyes for the first time.

(Can you do the skip? I’m in a car right now lol.)

(Ok!)

(Sharptooth’s ancestor can show up some time in early-mid newleaf, when Half Moon/Stoneteller has young kits, and Holly Leaves will consent to having kits once newleaf comes around.)

(Hmm.)

(I don’t know :p )

(So that’s the event that makes her officially recognized as the leader Of course, we decided that she’s going to have Jay’s kits, so when are we doing that?)

(Yep!)

(Okay! And I think we were planning to do Sharptooth’s ancestor?)

(I guess she could start trying to do subtle things that a leader would do, without calling herself one? And there could be a crisis of some sort where she takes charge and helps the tribe get through it, which would then cause them to acknowledge her as leader even if she doesn’t tell them she is.)

(*strokes imaginary beard in thought*)

(Hmm...)

(I know where we are, but I don't quite know what to do... It seems like Half Moon would just be laughed at if she announced that she was the leader now.)

Fallen Leaves’ ears stayed pinned straight back against his head. How could be just leave without saying anything to me...? The tom felt sadness wash over him in a massive wave, and he turned from Half Moon to sit down and stare at the cave floor between his paws.

"He's not coming back," Half Moon repeated.

Fallen Leaves pinned his ears back at this news. “W-what!?”

Half Moon gave a shrug. “I don’t know where he’s gone, and he’s not coming back.” She appeared to be tiredly resigned about this.

“Where?” Demanded Fallen Leaves immediately. This was so out of character for Jay’s Wing, especially recently with how much he had been fawning over The she-cat Fallen Leaves was currently standing beside. “How long will he be gone?”

Half Moon met the slightly older tom’s gaze. “Gone,” she said quietly. “He had to leave.”

“Half Moon!” Fallen Leaves mewled from across the cave, quickly bounding up to the tired she-cat when he spotted her. “Half Moon, where is Jay’s Wing?”

Half Moon left the Cave of Pointed Stones shortly after Fallen Leaves started to look for her, her steps weary but determined.

Fallen leaves bolted from his nest, searching the cave for Half Moon. If anyone was going to know where his best friend was, it would be her. They’d been spending all sorts of time together lately.

Holly Leaves was awoken by Fallen Leaves’ distressed mewl, and when she followed his gaze to Jay’s Wing’s empty nest, she didn’t appear surprised, just resigned and terribly, achingly sad.