[Fawn]

HAZEPAW

15 Moons || NightClan || Tom || Narcoleptic

Under a few rosy tendrils of dawn, a lithe mottled creature entered into NightClan territory. The Black Woods! Oh how long had it been since he’d set foot in this little stretch of woodland? The mottled creature could have leaped and danced and pounced with joy, but if these past few moonrises had taught him anything, it’s that getting overly excited was the quickest way to go nowhere fast. If you had narcolepsy, of course. That was the thing about his condition, after he’d gotten lost all those moons ago, chased from the territory by a small dog while out on a hunting assignment for Nettlefur, he had learned a pawful of things about himself. One: times of stress only encouraged his condition to flare like an unsightly rash, rendering him useless on several occasions, unable to do more than doze, nestled under a rocky overhang that he had taken for shelter to wait out Leafbare.

Fear had been his enemy for the past three moons. Fear that he wouldn’t make it home, fear that he would never see Darkpaw and Whitepaw again. Fear that he would be eaten, and no peace of mind would ever be granted to the family he was sure was out looking for him. Choked, Hazepaw had made no progress for home, and StarClan had remained unusually silent in what he considered the most stressful period of his life. But there was one good thing about the tortoiseshell’s condition; sometimes, he dreamed of his loved ones. He would see the stern, concerned face of his brother Darkpaw commanding him to get up and come home. He would feel a ghost of a paw-prod from his sister, and catch hazy glimpses of his mentor, Nettlefur, head-bent low in melancholy as he mourned his lost apprentice.

Hazepaw had wanted to come home badly enough that, the stars allowing, he had holstered some of his stress and anxieties, and set a slow course for home, taking it day by day, traveling in small spurts rather than covering long distances. Whenever he felt tired, he found a place to lie down. Slowly but surely, his world began to regain familiarity, and his heart nearly burst when he stepped over the scent border into home.

He suppressed an excited chuckling, blue-green eyes backlit like the first few days of dawn. Heehee, the other Clans are right, we really do smell kind of pungent. Hazepaw would have it no other way; he would gladly smell like toad dung for the rest of his life if it meant he could be back where he belonged. A hundred times, this day had been envisioned; it had been the fuel that kept a small, underweight, and hopeful fire blazing. Was it too much to hope for that Darkpaw, and maybe Nettlefur would be the first to find him? That was probably asking too much of whatever guiding force had brought him this far, and he wasn’t planning to do anything to make them redact their help.

Muddied paws churning through the soggy earth and tail waving, Hazepaw couldn’t resist calling out into the calm, chilly forest. ”Darkpaw! Nettlefur! I’m back! I’ve come home! Darkpaw!” They probably couldn’t hear him, but it felt so good to think that they could only be a few fox lengths away. Only as far as the NightClan camp. Would his brother have saved a nest for him? Oh he hoped so, he was ready for a long, long nap.

nimble, Amber

[Deleted]

It had started out as his usual morning meditation by the ambush pond. While he was there, his mind empty, his breathing deep and calm, his senses open, he felt a desire, a need, an urge, one that grew stronger with each passing heartbeat. It continued until he could no longer remain still. With his heart pounding. no longer calm and steady, Darkblaze had risen from his place and followed the pull.

Guided by something other than his mind, his paws sloshed through the muddy ground of the black forest, the burned trees looming high overhead. He hadn't walked here in moons, why would his paws carry him here now? Surely it couldn't be to wander among the skeletons of a forest never healed.

Darkblaze froze mid-step as his ears picked up a faint cry. After a heartbeat, he dismissed it as a trick of the wind, until he heard it again.

"I've come home! Darkpaw!" There was no way. There was no way in StarClan that voice was real. Yet some part of him knew it was true.That part of him controlled his next steps, caused him to leap ahead in pursuit of the quiet cry.

"Hazepaw! Hazepaw, I'm here!" He covered ground quickly, splashing mud up behind him, paws slipping slightly but keeping him upright. At a breakneck pace, it didn't take him long to reach the border. He skidded to a halt, panting and out of breath. His eyes searched wildly for any sign of his multicolored sibling. "Hazepaw!"

As his breathing slowed, he began to sniff the air, hoping to catch whatever scent trail Hazepaw might have left, following each faint whisp he discovered. And then the tortoiseshell tom was in front of him, some distance away. Darkblaze stared in shock and wonder, knowing yet still disbelieving it was true.

"Hazepaw..." His voice was much quieter than he intended, barely a whisper, but he was too shocked to manage anything else.

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D A R K B L A Z E

[Fawn]

HAZEPAW

15 Moons || NightClan || Tom || Narcoleptic

Darkpaw! Not even a herd of deer interrupting their reunion could have made Hazepaw slow down, and thankfully, that didn't happen. Instead, the tortoiseshell put on a burst of speed, his heart pounding hard against his throat, pulse in his ears as he felt as though he might take off flying, so strong was the joy that welled up inside of him. It became apparent after a few seconds that he was having a little trouble slowing down, and he dug his muddy paws into the grass to stop him from slamming directly into his sibling, the underweight, haggard creature beaming at him despite the rough halt. "Darkpaw! I'm--" So tired.

Hazepaw had been unable to bear the distance, and even with some kind of clue as to what triggered his condition, he had charged for his brother anyway - only now he was paying the consequences with heavy eyelids and slumping body. "Darkpaw... I'm... home..." Thud. Hazepaw was unaware of just how scrawny he had gotten over the three long moons of survivalist-living; the few scraggly mice and occasional bits of crowfood that he'd managed to sustain himself with hadn't been anything to write home about. He looked the definition of pathetic, slumped there on the soggy grass of the scarred forest, snoring gently, whiskers blowing with every soft exhale. But at least, for the first time since his hellish time in the mountains, he seemed content.

OOC: Short post, forgive me! Give him like 5 minutes, he'll wake up. Amber

[Deleted]

Gold eyes watched as the smaller tom shifted direction, racing toward him. He spread his paws, bracing himself to catch his brother should he not stop in time. Hazepaw skidded to a sharp halt, and Darkblaze stared at him in a mixture of shock, relief, and love. "Darkpaw! I'm..." Hazepaw's body was leaning slightly, as his voice faded. "Darkpaw...I'm...home..." His brother fell to the ground, fast asleep.

Darkblaze stared at him for a moment. Apparently, he'd never gotten over his sleeping tendencies. It didn't take long for him to slip into his protective big brother mode, and he grabbed Hazepaw by the scruff. The tortoiseshell was much lighter than he'd expected, and he made a note in the back of his mind to make sure his brother got the best prey.

He set Hazepaw down gently at the base of one of the trees, settling him into a more comfortable position. He turned his own back to the tree, sitting down close to him and staring into the forest around them. He would protect his brother while he slept. To him, there was no other option. His brother's safety and protection was all that mattered now.

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D A R K B L A Z E

[Phoenix]

YOU’VE HELD YOUR HEAD UP. YOU’VE FOUGHT THE FIGHT.

It was by chance that the bird had decided to lead her along the border. Rarely did she put in the extra effort to hunt that which could simply fly out of her reach, but she found herself inspired by the challenge. NightClan was not particularly hurting for prey, and the robin seemed to want to do nothing but tease her, as though it knew perfectly well just how grounded the feline was. Later, when the shock had worn off and she had had the chance to reflect, she would decide that perhaps chance had not played as large a role as she had thought – perhaps it was a sign sent from a distant StarClan. After all, what were robins but symbols of the fading cold and the arrival of new life and new beginnings?

But when she bounded through the undergrowth in the early morning light, she considered the bird as nothing but a challenge with which she could distract herself. She had not expected to nearly leap into Darkblaze, assuming that she had had only her thoughts for company so early in the morning; certainly, it had seemed as though most of the warriors were unlikely to rise before the sun rose high in the sky when she had stepped from the den. “Darkblaze,” Brightfeather greeted her brother pleasantly. “Good morning.” And then she saw the small shape by his side – and StarClan was he small.

“Is that – Haze – Is that him?”

She spoke in a whisper, as though afraid that if she spoke too loudly or used his name that the frail figure might disintegrate into dust and leave behind nothing but the memory of him – again. Threatening collapse, her legs trembled under her as she stood there, unable to do anything other than stare. Of course it was him. How could it be anyone other than him? She would know him anywhere, and she had never forgotten what he looked like, what with the way he haunted her dreams. She stepped forward, a kitten-sized step, numb and hurting and hesitant. There he was, sleeping as contentedly as ever, and had she not been able to see his ribs, he might never have gone missing.

Why was she not happier? Her brother’s safe return was all she had ever wanted, dared to hope for. She and Darkblaze alone – and their friends and family – had held out hope while the rest of NightClan turned their backs and gave them sad looks that told them what they refused to say out loud: that Hazepaw was probably dead and that they were holding on for nothing. She should be celebrating, but a part of her could not forget that sometimes her hope had felt like water slipping through her claws. Sometimes she had longed to find Hazepaw on the border, alive or dead, just so she could know – undeniably – what had happened to him. You wanted him dead. A part of her protested. Not truly. Not where it mattered. But, as she looked at his sleeping form, so very alive, and remembered her lowest moments, the second inner voice seemed very weak indeed. A blue and golden gaze flicked to her other brother, and a small smile flickered across her lips, masking the exhaustion that had suddenly settled upon her like a blanket.

Brightfeather | NightClan | Warrior | Dust to Dust – The Civil Wars

YOU BEAR THE SCARS. YOU’VE DONE YOUR TIME.

Fawn Amber

[Fawn]

HAZEPAW

15 Moons || NightClan || Tom || Narcoleptic

The short spell of sleep his body had sprung upon him was dreamless, and the usual duration passed, a miracle it wasn't longer given just how worn out he actually was from his 3-moon-long unwanted stay in the mountains. When a set of greenish-blue eyes at last opened and took in the part of the world he was familiar with, Hazepaw felt a jolt in his stomach at having moved - it was a little disconcerting, waking up in a place different form the one you'd fallen asleep in - but it was the biggest indicator that he'd even fallen asleep at all. Sometimes with these bouts of narcolepsy, he would pass out and then wake up with no recollection of any time having passed, carrying on with his sentence or his mode of activity without being conscious of the brief interlude he'd just taken.

It was the scent of Brightfeather, as if drawn out of his most wistful dreams of home, that calmed him. Feeling a burst of joy at the reunion, he gazed into the two-tone orbs of his sister, beaming from ear to ear, taking in just how much she - and Darkblaze - had changed; they were even more impressive than he'd remembered. "Brightpaw! I can't believe it! I'm home for good, I promise - I'll never you and Darkpaw again!" It was a heartfelt declaration, the tortoiseshell having no doubt in his joy-drunk mind that he could make good on this statement, no matter what was thrown in his way in the nearby and distant future.

They had changed so much... 3 moons had, apparently, been the last nudge the two of them had needed into maturation, Darkpaw looked distinguished and capable, standing beside him as though his bodyguard, Hazepaw unable to do more than nudge his shoulder with no attempt to mask his affection for his siblings. Brightpaw was no longer the smallish she-cat he remembered her being - her fur was even whiter then he'd recalled, and she looked... well, grown, like a proper warrior.

.... a proper warrior...

A startled look flitted across his face, the realization striking him like a tree branch pulled taut and then suddenly released; he was seeing stars (well, that might've been the hallucinatory aspect of his condition). "Are you - were you both made - are you still Darkpaw and Brightpaw?" Great StarClan, how much have I missed? Feeling a tad overwhelmed (as well as guilty for having missed two of the most important days in their family's recent history), Hazepaw could only glance between the two of them, ready to give his attention to whichever sibling spoke up first.

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Word Count: 435 Words
Tags: Amber, Phoenix

[Deleted]

A white form caught his eye, chasing something he couldn't immediately see. But the she-cat turned his direction, and as recognition flared, whatever she had been seeking was forgotten.

He smiled at her greeting, waving his tail in response. He watched as Brightfeather's expression changed rapidly, knowing just how shocking their brother's reappearance was. "Is that - Haze - Is that him?"

Darkblaze glanced down at where Hazepaw lay, still fast asleep. "Yea... Yea, it really is. He's back, Brightfeather. He's back." He turned his eyes back to his sister, a small smile on his face. She seemed to be trembling, and his eyes shifted to worry. Taking a few steps forward, he let his pelt brush hers, a gesture he hoped would offer her strength and comfort.

Hazepaw stirred, and Darkblaze moved to his side again, letting his tail drag along Brightfeather's flank. He wasn't abandoning her. He looked down on Hazepaw as the tortoiseshell woke, seaching for any signs of distress. Instead, Hazepaw sat up with joy, exclaiming his excitement to be back and promising never to leave again. Darkblaze chuckled and purred softly as Hazepaw bumped against his shoulder, and he gave his brother a quick lick over his ear.

And then Hazepaw drew back, eyes wide and shifting from one sibling to the other. "Are you - were you both made - are you still Darkpaw and Brightpaw?" Darkblaze looked at Brightfeather first, then turned back to Hazepaw with sad eyes. They weren't apprentices anymore. They were warriors, and Hazepaw hadn't been there for that.

"Hazepaw..." He didn't know what to say. How do you explain to someone that everything has changed while they weren't around to see it happen? He took a deep breath, casting his gaze to Brightfeather once again. "As much as I -- as much as we wanted time to stop after you disappeared -- I never gave up hope." He looked at Hazepaw, fixing his yellow orbs onto his brother's bluegreen ones. "I searched, every day, pacing that border, waiting for you to come home. But they wouldn't let me wait forever. We had to train. But I never gave up on you." He stood up a little taller, still holding his gaze. "And I never will. I'm Darkblaze now, and Brightpaw is Brightfeather now. And I know that you'll have your warrior name soon, too."

He ran his tail along Hazepaw's flank. He truly believed that Hazepaw could return to Clan life, and he had every intention of seeing Hazepaw's safe journey to warriorhood and beyond. Hazepaw vowed to never leave them again; Darkblaze vowed silently to never let him leave his sight again.

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D A R K B L A Z E