[Phoenix]

if you get lost you can always be found

Bravebird flew through RainClan’s territory, paws barely skimming the ground as panic gripped his racing heart. For once, the lonely misery that gnawed at him like a dog on a bone had fled, replaced by an urgency that brought with in a fresh jolt of energy that he had not felt in quite a long time. Separated from those he held most dear – even his relationship with Swanfeather had become strained these past few moons, as she shouldered the responsibility of leading and he could not quite reconcile the cat she had become with the one he had known as a kit – the warrior had lost his purpose and home, but in the past day, he had found it again. He only wished it had been under better conditions.

The warrior needed to see Russethawk now. He needed to make sure his brother was safe, that everyone was safe. For the past few weeks, he had heard the whispers that traveled through their makeshift camp, rumors of violent intent toward those who followed Timberwing, yet it had not been until the sight of Vinestripe limping into camp with the help of Lotuswhisker that he had any inclination of the truth of those rumors. There were few incidents that Bravebird would never forget, and the horror that had spread through him like ice as he realized just how far gone the Purists had become was one of them. Immediately, the image of a russet-colored tom leapt to the forefront of his mind, and a sudden fear had propelled him to his paws, the small, half-eaten fish at his feet entirely forgotten.

Wide blue eyes scanned the river for any trace of his friend. They had met here last time by complete chance and left with heavy hearts, but he found himself returning again and again, if only to catch sight of a familiar pelt. Although they stood on separate sides of the metaphorical canyon stretching between them – although communication between the two sides was likely frowned upon by both leaders – he couldn’t help himself. On normal days, even the tiniest glimpse of Russethawk fishing or walking or talking with other friends was enough to tide him over until the next time he could escape the suffocating camp, but today he sought out his brother with the intent of talking to him. Bravebird had to warn him about the attacks (for he feared that there would be more to come) on the Loyalists by those of his group.

There was no sign of Russethawk, and the fear’s grip around his heart became more and more unforgiving with every passing moment. Oh, StarClan, what if I’m too late? He hadn’t waited to hear what had happened to Vinestripe, who’s blood he had on his claws – what if it was Russethawk’s? What if his best friend was laying somewhere in the middle of RainClan’s territory, dying, alone, and no one knew where he was or what had happened to him? His steps faltered. Bravebird would never be able to forgive Swanfeather for starting this civil war, and he would never forgive himself for not taking any action sooner. No, Russethawk couldn’t be dead; he would know. He would feel it. But as time crawled by and his friend did not appear, the warrior found that cold seed of doubt growing larger and larger with every passing moment.

just know you're not alone i'm gonna make this place your home

bravebird | rainclan | warrior | Fawn

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[Fawn]

42 Moons | RainClan | Tom | Senior Warrior

The ruddy warrior had been pacing the river bank for what felt like hours. He caught a few fish, yes, but it was more luck than skill-based at this point; it was too hard to sit still. Too much was happening. Too much was going wrong, and he just didn't know how to fix any of it. Vultureback's death, Glowflower's death, and Leopardyowl attacking Minnowpaw--it was clear as wind that cats with HalfClan or loner-born associations were not safe.

And Bravebird was living right with the rest of those murderers. What if he'd been the first victim? What if the first life Leopardyowl had taken was Bravebird's? Swanfeather would never allow that, said a voice of reason. But that voice of reason had been right two moons ago, when cats weren't killing each other over something as stupid as blood purity. Times had changed. Rainclan had changed. Cats he thought were his Clanmates were turning on one another, and he could bear it no longer.

Half hoping for a Purist patrol to find him, so he could demand that they either take him to see Bravebird or bring Bravebird to him, it was to the ruddy tom's utter shock and delight that the cat who appeared was exactly who he was looking for.

"Bravebird!" Russethawk charged towards the pale tom, worry and determination flashing like sunlight in his eyes, which were full to the brim with conviction. "I'm not letting you get hurt, Bravebird. You're going back to camp with me." He wasn't going to take no for an answer. Russethawk circled his friend and began to herd him towards RainClan's camp. If Swanfeather truly wants him there and can protect him, then she's just gonna have to come fetch him herself!

There was fear motivating Russethawk, but there was indignation and fury in there as well. This had gone on far enough. He couldn't see how Bravebird could still side with these murderers after everything that had happened.

I will drag you home by the scruff if I have to! If fighting Bravebird was the only way to keep him from getting killed, then Russethawk wasn't going to take any chances. Tail lashing, his expression fierce and uncompromising, the red warrior blocked his brother's path, not about to let him return to the Wooded Cove for anything short of an emergency.

Word Count: 389 Words Tags: Phoenix

Notes:

[Phoenix]

if you get lost you can always be found

Time seem to crawl by slower than an elder with two legs. Seconds turned into years, and minutes into lifetimes. His friend would have no indication that he was here, Bravebird tried to reason with himself. Russethawk wouldn’t know to show up; therefore, the pale warrior could only expect to wait for an indeterminate amount of time. That his brother had yet to appear didn’t mean that he had fallen victim to the brutes in his camp, for it was just as likely that his friend was out fishing or patrolling or training an apprentice (did he even have an apprentice right now? Bravebird was shocked to realize that he didn’t even know that anymore). He was simply jumping to conclusions too quickly. He had no reason to think…

And suddenly, there he was. A weight lifted from his heart at the sight of Russethawk racing toward him as if the Dark Forest were right on his heels. Russethawk was still alive. ”Russethawk!” Blue eyes eagerly drank in every detail of his friend, searching for any new wounds or injuries or anything that might suggest a run-in with the Purists, but his brother was safe and whole. And very, very worked up about something. ”You’re in danger. There are cats – Purists – attacking other Loyalists, and thank StarClan you’re safe, but you need to be careful.” The words tumbled out of his mouth just as others spilled out of Russethawk’s, and their voices mixed together in the air, each one trying to drown out the other until it was an unintelligible tangle of words.

A brief silence before he tried again, turning to keep the other tom in his line of sight as he tried to impress upon him the danger that lurked at the claws of his clan mates. ”Russethawk, they’re going to—“ And then his brother’s words registered with him, breaking through the cloud of worry that filled his mind. ”Wait – what?” But Russethawk had already placed himself solidly between Bravebird and the most direct path to the Wooded Cove, confirming what the warrior had thought he heard. He had thought his decision was obvious, had thought he had made his position clear to his friend moons ago. His heart ached as he stared at Russethawk, as his gaze lingered just over his shoulder. Swanfeather, His mother’s name drifted to his lips. I can’t leave her.

Bravebird didn’t want to fight over this. Already so much had come between them, and their tattered friendship felt like it was only hanging together by a few threads. He didn’t want to be the one to slice through those remaining strings once and for all – but he would, for his mother, said a small voice inside him. Yes, he tried to convince himself, for Swanfeather, he would. Yet he hadn’t moved, and his claws remained sheathed. There had been too much violence lately, he reasoned, so he would use words to convince Russethawk. But the silence stretched on between them, with the Loyalist looking more and more determined as time passed. Bravebird stared at him and recognized the glint in his brother’s eyes. There was no room for debate – Russethawk would not take no for an answer.

Everything inside of him began to crumble.

He was tired. He didn’t want to fight anymore. He never wanted this barrier between him and his brother. He never wanted to see just how deep the hatred ran in his mother’s heart, his mother who had taken him under her wing from the very first day since he had wandered onto RainClan territory yet scorned every other half-blood cat in the clan. He had no RainClan blood running through his veins, and more and more, he had found himself wondering, Does that mean she hates me too? He had never thought the answer to that could be anything but a resolute no, but as the moons had stretched on and this, this farce continued, he had started to doubt himself. It ate away at him when he was at his lowest, and for the first time in his entire life, he could not go to his mother for comfort and reassurance. These moons had not been kind to them, for they were no longer as close as they had once been. Swanfeather had proven herself to be an entirely different cat than he had thought she was, and he, more than anyone, had felt the sting of betrayal in his heart. Bravebird didn’t know if anything could ever truly fix this.

Blue eyes met green. He wanted to agree, to simply nod and tell Russethawk to take him home, but he felt like doing so – caving so easily – would be a betrayal to the tiny piece of Swanfeather that still owned his heart. To turn his back on his mother so easily… Yet had he not been doing the same to his brother ever since the beginning? His voice was small. ”What do I do?”

just know you're not alone i'm gonna make this place your home

bravebird | rainclan | warrior | tagged

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[Fawn]

42 Moons | RainClan | Tom | Senior Warrior

”What do I do?”

Come back with me to the camp, you stupid furball! Russethawk wanted to yowl at him, but the confusion and confliction in Bravebird's voice and written so plainly across his face pulled at Russethawk's heart strings.

"I know you want to be loyal to Swanfeather, but the Purists have done some unforgiveable things." Pain seared across Russethawk's vision like a brushfire, his body still as if he needed a moment to regain control over the powerful emotions threatening to be unleashed. "Lizardleap was injured. Vultureback, Duckquack and Glowflower were all murdered, Bravebird. By Purists. And before you say anything, no I don't think Swanfeather had anything to do with it. But she's a medicine cat; if she was still the cat you knew, she would turn in the killers, wouldn't she? End this stupid war and return RainClan to it's whole self again."

But she isn't. And she refuses.

Russethawk's jaw tightened, and he gave Bravebird a nudge towards RainClan's main camp. "It's not safe for you in the wooded cove anymore. I know some of our Clanmates aren't going to be happy to see you, but I know how you can make it up to them. Ottersplash is really overwhelmed since Swanfeather left and... preparing for all the burials." Russethawk shook his head slowly, as if even now the scents of lavender and chamomile were all around them. "Help Ottersplash, Bravebird. Please."

If it was easier for his brother to come home if he thought they well and truly needed him (they did), then Russethawk would take full advantage of it. He wouldn't take no for an answer, but nor did Russethawk want Bravebird mad at him—though, if push came to shove, he wasn't above taking Bravebird prisoner on the Loyalists side. Their Clanmates knew Bravebird; it was plain as day that anyone who knew of the pale tom's heritage knew that he hadn't a drop of RainClan blood. That his only familial tie to the Clan was Swanfeather.

Bravebird would be forgiven. He just had to be.

Word Count: 343 WordsTags: Phoenix

Notes: Er I hope I got the victims correct. @.@

[Phoenix]

if you get lost you can always be found

Oh, Starclan. Horror filled him. He was too late. Blue eyes widened, and he took a step back, unable to meet Russethawk’s fierce gaze. Everyone respected Vultureback and knew better than to try anything with him, and Duckquack and Glowflower, too… But the senior warrior had been pure RainClan through and through – ah, Falconleap. Bravebird’s throat seemed to have tied itself into a knot. To be murdered in cold blood simply for falling in love was a truly horrifying thought. Russethawk mentioned Swanfeather, and he raised his head, realizing with some surprise that the idea that his mother could be the orchestrator of these attacks hadn’t even crossed his mind. Caught up as he was in the tumult of emotions, he had neither thought to defend her nor place the blame on her. ”I…” His words came out as a croak. ”No, I don’t think she would…” But he wished he could sound more certain. She had changed so much that he felt as though he barely knew her anymore.

Russethawk nudged him back toward camp, and he took a step in that direction, ears flicking at his friend’s words. At his plea for help, the warrior looked over at his companion, searching his face for – for what, he wasn’t quite sure – perhaps he was simply absorbing all the details he had forgotten over the past few moons, the way those few strands of hair just by the side of Russethawk’s ear never lay flat or the faint marks from long days of hard training under Razorstar’s watchful eye. The warrior was right. There was no other place he could go, not really. The wooded cove was not his home, had never been his home, and deep down, he knew that the day he would walk away from the wooded cove (either by his own decision or through force, he hadn’t known) had been coming for a long time. His love for Swanfeather had no end, but his loyalty could only stretch so far.

Today, it had reached its limit.

Taking a deep breath and letting it out as a heavy sigh, Bravebird turned his back on the wooded cove and every hope of regaining his former life. Ahead of him lay an entirely new chapter, a blank page, and a camp full of cats who would either welcome or ostracize him. But, if what Russethawk had said was true, he was needed there. ”Okay, Russethawk,” He agreed quietly, taking the first steps forward. ”It’s time to go home.”

just know you're not alone i'm gonna make this place your home

bravebird | rainclan | warrior | Fawn

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