The Long Road Home | INACTIVE

[Zeneka]

I'm going to the place where love
and feeling good don't ever cost a thing.

---

Biding their time, they had learned TreeClan territory, for the most part anyway. Pantherpaw still got a bit turned around in all the trees when he got too far from camp and wasn't near any borders, but he found his way eventually, especially since apprentices weren't exactly allowed outside of camp on their own so some cat was usually nearby. But even Pantherpaw was confident in his ability to find his way back to RainClan territory at this point.

Moonfeather had said the sparkling brook led back to the river, and the river was in RainClan territory. Getting to the brook had been an easy enough matter. No cat questioned you when you headed straight for the dirt place and weren't acting suspicious. He and Flamepaw had met up, and then found their way to the brook, following it back toward StarClan's Claws. Casting an excited glance toward Flamepaw, Pantherpaw crossed out of TreeClan territory without hesitation, passing beneath one of the towering stones, jaws parted as he tried to scent home.

He bounded across StarClan's Claws, his tail flicking back at Flamepaw, “Hurry, we're almost there!” For once the black and white tom's voice rose above a murmur in his excitement. The familiar fishy scent of RainClan, and then they were over the border. Pantherpaw leaped into the air and darted one way, then the other, “We made it! We made it, Flamepaw!” He ran back to his brother, butting his head against the ginger and white tom's shoulder affectionately.

Now they just had to figure out which was it was to RainClan's camp. Maybe they would run into some cat that could take them the rest of the way. “Come on. I can't wait to see Dewpaw and Fernpaw. I wonder who their mentors are, what they've learned so far. They're going to be so far ahead of us.” his tail lashed once in frustration as he continued on, deeper into RainClan territory, but then he purred, “Wait until Echoshade sees how big we've gotten.”

---

Well I'm going home,
to the place where I belong.

Calico Justice williams Taxx

[Calico]

Flamepaw sedately followed his brother further and further into RainClan territory. Already the TreeClan border seemed so far away.

Pantherpaw couldn't contain his excitement and delight at being able to go home again, but secretly? Honestly? Flamepaw wasn't so sure. They hadn't been there for a few moons now. Who knew what kind of reception they would walk into? They lost their Rainclan scent AGES ago. They smelled full TreeClan now (which, while it was not even close to his favourite scent, that fishy RainClan scent, was what he was now used to, so he might as well make the best of it) 

Pantherpaw didn't see the logic with which Flamepaw was thinking, but he said absolutely none of this to his clearly delighted brother. 

So a patrolling RainClan cat (or cats, Flamepaw thought uncomfortably) would find them. Then what? They'd smell the TreeClan scent on the two, notice how small and obviously un-trained they were, and probably flay them. Their only saving grace would most likely come if either Echoshade, Fernpaw or Dewpaw found them. Then they would at least be guaranteed a fair hearing. 

Flamepaw tried to ignore the kit-like excitement he felt about seeing his mother and his sisters again. He needed to be serious for now, he could be excited once they were safely in the camp. 

"Pantherpaw, stop. We can't just keep walking like this. What if we're heading in the wrong direction and we're getting farther away from the camp? Let's just stop and wait for some cat to find us. We're in their territory now."

Flamepaw fell into a graceful sit, wrapping his tail around his paws, looking like he was at home in the territory. 

288/ Zeneka Justice williams Taxx

[Taxx]

Fernpaw

10 moons. She-cat. RainClan.

Fernpaw had coaxed her sister out with tempting words of a walk by the river, the fact that before too long, it'd be far too cold to just amble around, enjoying the frost that had formed on the grass and trees, the ice slowly stretching from the banks of the river. Their lives, set on such different paths, seemed to be drawing farther and farther apart and she wanted to have this; at least Dewpaw hadn't protested.

Rushwhisker was with them too, a calm and watchful required presence. Fernpaw was currently showing off her stalking skills, slowly creeping up on a water vole, a glow of pride warming her as she pounced and caught the little creature. It was a small meal, but it would certainly fill one cat's belly.

The sudden scent of TreeClan drifted toward Fernpaw and her tail instantly bristled, her gaze flashing toward Rushwhisker for instruction. Before she could say anything, though, the underlying personal scents of the cats made her realize that they weren't strangers, and that they weren't dangerous. Not to her, or Dewpaw. Fur lying flat, tail lifting high, Fernpaw bounded toward the scent, her voice ringing out in a joyful cry.

"Pantherkit! Flamekit!" No, they would have to be apprentices by now- right? In a minute, Fernpaw had spotted them, and, perhaps recklessly, darted right up to the two toms. She never considered that they were dangerous, even with the TreeClan scent clinging to their pelts. They were her brothers, they'd never hurt her or Dewpaw. Skidding to a halt in front of them, a purr rumbling loudly in her chest, she leaned forward to butt hear head against Flamekit- no, Flamepaw's. She couldn't help the slightest wrinkle of her nose at the foreign smell of the other Clan, but she ignored it.

"How are you? You look well, so you must be eating okay. You're apprentices, right? Who's mentoring you? How are you settling in- no, wait, why are you here?" Blue eyes widened at the thought- where they coming back? Or- just visiting? Did it matter? She was so glad to see them.

Zeneka Calico williams ooc: she's so excited my bby

[williams]

dewpaw,

It hadn't taken much convincing for Fernpaw to get her sister to come outside. Dewpaw felt like ants were all over her paws, making her jumpy and unfocused on her tasks. It had taken three tries to get one stack of herbs put away properly and frustration was starting to grow. But her sister's words were so tempting, just a quick stroll, Rushwhisker will come with us so we'll have a warrior nearby. It'll be good to get out before the river freezes. C'mon you know you want to. With Rushwhisker ready to guard them, the young cat smiled as her sister tugged her out of camp for the day. One day she would have to say no to her sister's requests, but her paws had fully agreed from the first moment her sister stepped into the medicine cat's den.

The air was clear, filling Dewpaw's lungs with the scents of her home she was falling more and more in love with. Each passing day brought her new surprises. She was learning, as her sister was. Fernpaw led the charge, showing off hunting skills that made Dewpaw whoop aloud with praise. How long will we be able to do this? Dewpaw thought, watching her sister carefully hide the shrew to come back to later. When will our paths stop crossing so easily? Will we be able to spend days like this when I'm a full medicine cat and she's a warrior? Dewpaw shook her head briskly. Let's enjoy right now. Future can wait.

As she did, a smell reached her nose. She wrinkled it curiously, unable to place why it was so familiar till the cats in question came into view. "Flamekit! Pantherkit!" Her words overlapped with Fernpaw's, excitement making her tail stand tall. Her paws took her to her brothers, pushing her head against theirs, with a purr so loud it almost drowned out her sister's words. They were back!

"How are you? You look well, so you must be eating okay. You're apprentices, right? Who's mentoring you? How are you settling in- no, wait, why are you here?" Oh yeah, why were they here? The medicine cat apprentice stepped back from her enthusiastic greeting, blue eyes questioning. "Yeah, what brings you here? Are you lost? Did Treeclan reject you?"

i totally forgot about this thread, sorry!!!

388

Zeneka Justice Calico

[Zeneka]

I'm going to the place where love
and feeling good don't ever cost a thing.

---

Pantherpaw DID stop when his brother finally spoke. He didn't seem near as excited as he expected him to be. They were in their territory? His pelt bristled as Flamepaw's word choice suggested that they didn't belong here. "It's our territory too, Flamepaw," he mewed with stubborn insistence. Before the conversation could escalate into a possible argument, however, voices called their names. Well, their kit names.

Pantherpaw purred the moment he saw his sisters heading for them. He didn't even register the warrior following at a distance behind them. Rubbing his cheek against each of the she-cats' cheeks before him, he couldn't stop purring as Fernpaw bombarded them with questions too quickly for either of them to answer properly. When Dewpaw asked if TreeClan had rejected them his ears flicked back against his head. He wished they would, then none of this would be a problem.

"We've come home," he announced proudly, tail raising behind him victoriously, "And we are apprentices now, but it's not like any TreeClan cat can teach us how to swim or fish properly." Moonfeather had offered. She wasn't exactly a full TreeClan cat, she had skills the rest of the Clan did not. But that didn't matter. With a flick of his tail he brushed away thoughts of his mentor. She was nice, but she wasn't a RainClan cat.

He didn't want to talk about their time in TreeClan right now. Looking between his sisters he purred again, "I missed you. You're apprentices too, right?" Rushwhisker paused a short distance away, drawing his attention for the first time. Pantherpaw tilted his head at the older tom, then looked back at Dewpaw and Fernpaw. It was his turn to ask questions, "Is that one of your mentors? Have you caught any fish yet? Can you swim? Is it hard?"

Rushwhisker's whiskers twitched with some amusement at the four young cats and he padded forward to nudge Fernpaw lightly to get her attention, "I'm going to go see if I can catch a fish or two nearby." He gestured with his nose the direction he was heading, "Come find me when you're ready to go back to camp." He knew the two toms would want to see Echoshade, but he also knew that when they went to camp, they'd shortly be sent back to TreeClan, and he wanted to give the four of them some time to visit before the inevitable happened and they were separated once more. With that he turned and padded away, making sure to keep close enough that if there was a problem, he would hear and be able to return quickly.

---

Well I'm going home,
to the place where I belong.

Calico Justice williams Taxx

[Calico]

Flamepaw observed Rushwhisker giving the cats some room and his heart lightened. At least there was one cat, outside his immediate family, who remembered what all of this meant to all of them. 

For a moment, his thoughts strayed to Meadowleaf. She didn't deserve to die, but it had meant that both he and his brother were to grow up in a clan that wasn't theirs by birth. But, as kits, they'd known no different. 

It was why he was so excited to be in the company of both Dewpaw and Fernpaw now.

Setting his purr-motor to full power, he rested his muzzle on the shoulders of first Fernpaw, then Dewpaw. Dewpaw smelled so different now to what he remembered of her as his littermate. 

"Dewpaw... you smell earthy. Are you... Are you a medicine cat apprentice? I'm so proud of you!"

Of all of them, Dewpaw had always been the more sedate, more placid. 

"We're coming home. We were only in TreeClan long enough for us to be taught where the directest route to you was. Now we're here. Is mother alright? Does she miss us? We need to see her!"

192 / Taxx williams Zeneka Justice