[BlooRey DVD]

HERONDIVE

Blue eyes reflected the moon's light as it hung high above the cream and white she-cat. The moon was little more than a claw-strike in the sky, but it still bathed StarClan's Claws in a swathe of silver light. Her gaze, dulled by exhaustion and hopelessness alike, lowered to her paws. Weariness was carved into every muscle, from the slant of her ears to the angle of her tail. Despite having an apprentice to train and duties to attend to, the StoneClan warrioress visited this spot religiously. Every night since the fire ravaged the valley, she'd come in hopes of seeing Falconstorm, even just for a moment.

She knew he would be busy, for the fire had hit TreeClan alongside LightningClan. Had she not attended the Gathering and seen him with her own eyes, she might have feared he'd been severely injured or worse during the fire. But he'd been there, he'd been okay. Tired, but okay from what she could tell. That alone soothed part of her worry. Now, she only feared he would work himself to the point of exhaustion. Ironic, considering she'd been doing just that by neglecting to maintain a proper sleep schedule. And for what? A chance to see the pale furred TreeClan healer.

It was wearing on her, but her heart wouldn't let her stop. Even as the Greenleaf warmth began to drain from the valley, making her lonely nights out slightly more unbearable, she came. And she sat, waiting until the darkness showed signs of receding, until the very last possible moment. Luckily, StoneClan's on-goings kept most preoccupied; not many had the free time to track her movements, and everyone was tired after a long day's work. Slipping out unnoticed at night was less of an issue, especially considering Honeynose spent less time in Herondive's nest now for whatever reason.

With a quiet sigh, she glanced toward TreeClan lands, silently scanning the tall trees. Some had already begun to change color, a visual reminder that the seasons were shifting. She could hardly believe so many moons had passed since the first time she'd met Falconstorm, when he'd stood at her side against the three rogues. Leaf-fall was still young, but... Leafbare would bring with it the approach of a full rotation of the seasons since they met. Tucking her paws closer to herself, as though trying to make herself look as small as she felt, the StoneClan warrioress closed her eyes.

Just a while longer.... She begged herself. I'll stay a little while longer...

warrior of stoneclan

Justice  | background image | table by phoenix

Note: 30 moons

[Justice]

Falconstorm

Medicine Cat 40 Moons TreeClan

He'd been so preoccupied. First with the grip of green cough and then with the ravages of the fire. Chaos and death and trying to help the cats in LightningClan as much as he could on top of his own duties. He needed to go see if he could catch Kindleflare soon, see what herbs she'd need to see them through until Newleaf when the herbs would hopefully start regrowing. He'd been diligent in gathering more than he really needed for his own clan for this exact reason, but tonight his mind was elsewhere.

The Gathering had come and gone, and it was the first glimpse he'd had of Herondive since...well since he'd collapsed at her paws searching for herbs during the greencough epidemic. When he'd still been an apprentice, run ragged by his first major challenge and trying to help his mentor while she was deathly ill herself. Now Bluejay was dead, he was TreeClan's medicine cat, and his heart was heavy. He missed Herondive, missed her pretty eyes and her companionable presence. He missed feeling like he was more than just a medicine cat, that he had some control over his own destiny. He accepted StarClan had plans for him, but that didn't stop him from going to see her whenever he could manage to get away for awhile.

Tonight, with no one needing immediate attention and Honeysong sleeping in her own nest to recover from the sudden news that she was expectant, he snuck out of camp. He felt like a rebellious young apprentice all over again, though he was many moons outside those days now. Medicine cat training aside, that is.

He followed the painful beat of his heart, hearing it call out and demand to see the she-cat that made his life truly worth living, made everything he did for others matter. Herondive. He wanted so badly to see her, to speak with her and sit with her, if only for a little while.

As he got further from camp he let his stride lengthen, went from a quiet walk to a full run. He wanted to see her. Dawn would come soon enough, and he had to be home before it did. But his paws carried him swiftly over terrain that was scarred by the fire, with only the barest bulbs of grass beginning to show through. At least it was only at the border into the wildfire clearing, it hadn't crossed the stream. They were safe.

Further and further from home, leaving scorched lands behind, following the stream until there were more stones under his paws than grass. His heart pounded harder inside him, and he came to a dead stop as he saw the familiar pelt of Herondive curled up under the moon.

"Herondive?"

You felt the gravity of tempered grace falling into empty space
No one there to catch you in their arms

## BlooRey DVD Notes

[BlooRey DVD]

HERONDIVE

With every quiet exhale, the cream and white she-cat felt her hope fading away, dissipating like her misted breath in the cool night air. The StoneClan warrioress had begun losing count of the nights she spent sitting out here alone, the days she spent clawing her way through on a few hours of sleep. But she couldn't keep herself away, couldn't risk the possibility he would show up the moment she decided not to go. Her heart was sinking into the pit of her stomach, weighed down by the tribulations of recent Clan life and the reality of their situation.

Doubt had begun sprouting in her mind, logic desperately seeking to suppress the fantasy her heart had been living until this point. Yet she couldn't let go of him. What else did she have besides him?

As exhaustion slowly wore away at her attention, the creamy she-cat found herself drifting in and out of a light sleep. Every now and again, the ambient sounds of the night would fade away, leaving nothing but silence. For this reason, she failed to notice the distant approach of another being, until her quiet, lonely night was interrupted by a distinct voice.

"Herondive?"

Her head snapped up so violently, her world spun, blue eyes stretched wide as she sought out the source of her name. Panic thoughts of being discovered reeled momentarily, piecing together the familiarity of that voice, trying to sort out who'd located her, until she caught sight of the telltale brown hood and pale fur of the TreeClan medicine cat. Relief crashed over her in a swell of emotion so intense, she felt her forelegs tremble. For several heartbeats, all she could do was stare at him, losing herself in his pale blue eyes. She feared that if she were to blink he'd vanish, nothing more than a trick of a sleep-deprived mind.

And then she did, but he stayed, and a fervent spike of joy brought with in a trickle of nausea. Wordlessly, she staggered forward, her legs still weak from the onslaught of emotions crashing within her. On shaky legs, she closed the distance between them, water pricking at the edges of her vision as his scent washed over her. "Oh, thank... S-StarClan..." She rasped, her voice thick with weeks of unspoken worry. "You... You're here. You're really... Really..." Her hind legs buckled beneath her, the she-cat overcome with relief, and she all but collapsed a tail-length from him.

Despite momentarily having little to no control of her limbs, Herondive's nose pushed toward him, almost desperately seeking out his contact. She'd almost forgotten his scent, and craved the feel of his fur against her, sought out the comfort his presence alone could lend him. "I missed you.. S-So.. So much..." She croaked, her ears flattened to her skull as a single tear escaped her. Just a little closer... She begged her exhausted body.

warrior of stoneclan

Justice  | background image | table by phoenix

Note: 30 moons

[Justice]

Falconstorm

Medicine Cat 40 Moons TreeClan

He heard the tone of her voice and knew she was worried about him, that he'd stayed away too long. But the way she shook worried him more, and he stepped closer to close the distance between them. Every instinct he had as a medicine cat hit him all at once. Something was wrong, she was sick. He had to take care of her, had to do something. The best choice would be to-

His thoughts stopped when she collapsed at his paws just shy of reaching him. "Herondive!" He immediately went to her side, curling his larger form around behind her and laying his head on her back. His fluffy tail curled around her as much as he could as he tried to figure out what was wrong. "Shh...dear heart...just be still. I'm here now." He purred for her, the sound rusty even to his own ears as he started grooming her helplessly while his mind went over the multiple reasons she could have collapsed like this. She didn't have the scent of illness or infection, and her body wasn't giving off heat as though she had a fever.

And he'd made her cry, which clenched his heart in his chest and forced the air from his lungs. "I'm here, I'm here...please don't cry." He looked her over again, easing off on his frantic grooming for a few moments to make his mind work. She shook as she walked, collapsed and staggered and...Oh. She was overwrought. And it was most likely his fault. "I'm so sorry, I came as soon as I could."

You felt the gravity of tempered grace falling into empty space
No one there to catch you in their arms

## BlooRey DVD Notes

[BlooRey DVD]

HERONDIVE

Suddenly, he surrounded her, his larger frame easily curling around her exhaustion-ridden body. Every shaky breath she brought into her lungs carried his scent with it, and relief continued dripping through her veins like morphine. Shifting so she could press her head against his shoulder, leaning into him to feel his warmth, she waited for her fluctuating emotions to settle before trusting herself to speak again. Her body continued to shiver is short intervals, unsure what to do now that all the worry she'd carried on her shoulders had disintegrated all at once. She felt more unsteady than a newborn kit, her heart soaring above the clouds to have him near her again.

Eventually, she pulled her head back up to rest her shoulder against his. She still craved the feel of his fur against hers, and right now she didn't care if he found her too needy. It had been too long since she'd felt this. The Gathering, although it had stilled some of her worry, had also taunted her; he'd been so close, but she'd been unable to approach him like she wanted, to push her nose into his lush fur. Those moments had been agonizing to her, leaving her with a feeling of emptiness when she'd curled up alone in her nest that morning.

"S-Sorry... I'm okay..." She rasped, offering him a tired smile along with her words. "I know you did... And I know you've been... So busy. You have a duty, I just..." Her ears flicked back and she swallowed hard, momentarily staring down at her paws as she worked through what she wanted to say. "I couldn't risk... Missing one of your visits." She explained, claws flexing uncertainly. Was it strange that she'd come out here so many time, abandoning much of her sleep in hopes of maybe seeing the TreeClan medicine cat?

If it was wrong of her, she didn't want to be right. Happiness was fleeting at camp; it ebbed and flowed with the chattering voices of her friends. But with Falconstorm? She felt lighter than air, and her heart felt full to bursting. Finding the strength within her to meet his gaze again, she lifted her blue eyes from the ground and sought out his paler ones. "I'm... Really glad you came tonight..." She admitted, leaning forward to touch her nose to the soft fur of his neck, pulling in his scent once more.

warrior of stoneclan

Justice  | background image | table by phoenix

Note: 30 moons

[Justice]

Falconstorm

Medicine Cat 40 Moons TreeClan

"Herondive..." His throat clogged with emotion then, both a deep guilt and overwhelming affection for this she-cat. He shifted when she moved, just enough that he could provide support for her if she collapsed again. He was attentive, his every sense tuned in to the she-cat before him. And he adored her, the feeling inside of him was powerful and confusing and he knew it shouldn't be there. But since when has a cat's heart ever listened to the decrees of StarClan? His rusty purr hitched for a second then kept going strong, he wanted to comfort her, and she seemed to be taking comfort in his physical presence, so he'd remain as he was.

Falconstorm shut his eyes as she nuzzled in against him, feeling her shiver and feeling a shiver of his own roll through his body as well. She needed him to be there for her, but they were clans apart, never mind the fact that he was a medicine cat. As their eyes met his heart demanded he say something. Anything to erase the pain he'd caused her, the exhaustion and worry. "I want to take you home with me, curl up in my nest with you and forget the world for awhile. Or myself to your nest, regardless of the consequences. I want to take care of you, always." And StarClan did the knowledge that he couldn't do that hurt

He sat there quietly for a time, contemplating their situation, and on how he could make this easier for them both. He wasn't ready to give her up, though he knew he should. He was becomming steadily more distracted when he wasn't dealing with life threatening situations. He was actively lying to his clan, leaving camp whenever he could manage it. He really was gathering herbs when he was out, but that was usually an afterthought. His priority, when he was able, was to come here to see if Herondive was waiting for him.

After awhile he sighed, leaning a little to butt his head against hers before speaking. "Perhaps we should make a nest of our own here somewhere. StarClan knows we're here often enough for one." He was only partially joking. Ever since he'd found out Honeysong was going to be having kits he'd been wondering what it would be like if he and Herondive were to have kits together. Would they be golden and beautiful or fluffy and sturdy built? Would they have her blue eyes or his? Things a medicine cat should never contemplate, but that he couldn't help but wonder.

You felt the gravity of tempered grace falling into empty space
No one there to catch you in their arms

## BlooRey DVD Notes

[BlooRey DVD]

HERONDIVE

A confusing clash of thrill and sorrow struck her heart just then, blue eyes gazing steadily at him for lack of anything else to do. She lost herself in the fantasy, in the image of her and him sharing a nest. Living in the same Clan. Becoming more than a pawful of stolen moments beneath a glowing silver moon. StarClan, did hearing him say he wanted to take her home send her heart into a flurry. And yet, it was a fantasy. She could hear it in his voice, feel it in the ache of her chest.

StoneClan was her home, just as TreeClan was his. Could either of them ever really leave their homes behind? It was as though two distinct pieces of her heart were in conflict at the idea. One half clung so desperately to Falconstorm, unable to imagine never seeing him again. But TreeClan needed him. He was their medicine cat, lives depended on him there. His role, as valiant and good-natured as it was, proved the greatest obstacle in making her little dream world a reality. Even if she could find it within her to leave everything she'd ever known behind, to walk away from StoneClan...

Medicine cats weren't allowed to take mates. If she were to live in TreeClan, he would be a medicine cat once more. Here, they were two souls beneath the silent presence of StarClan high above. They were ignorable, here upon this neutral territory, so long as their respective Clans continued to sleep in blissful ignorance.

Somewhere, she knew they would never be more than these stolen moments, and her heart seized.

Roused from her spiraling thoughts by the gentle sound of his sigh, she glanced his way in time for him to press his head against hers. The fur of their foreheads brushed as he bent his head to hers, and her blue eyes slid closed, the white and cream she-cat leaning into the touch. Shifting slightly, she let the tip of her nose touch his in a caress far more personal than anything she'd done before. Yet with him, nothing felt like too much. She laughed softly at his suggestion, a gentle sound accented by the curl of mist escaping her jaws. "We.. would have to remember to hide it every Gathering. But maybe then I could... Get a proper sleep every now and again."

Something within her whispered that, with him at her side, she would succeed in sleeping anywhere, even on a nest made of thorns. Still not daring to move her head or nose from where they were pressed against his, the StoneClan warrioress let her mind continue in a peaceful world of fantasy. "What if.. We were to simply run away... Live in the mountains, build... Build a life there together." She breathed, imagining waking next to him in a world uninhibited by the rules of Clanlife. For a moment, she prayed he would agree.

For one, fleeting moment, she let herself believe it could happen.

warrior of stoneclan

Justice  | background image | table by phoenix

Note: 30 moons

[Justice]

Falconstorm gave a deeply contented sigh as she leaned into his touch, feeling his body releax as their noses touched and the world narrowed down to just the two of them. He let his thoughts of home, of duty and the Code, fade from the front of his mind, just basking in being here. They were just two star-crossed cats meeting under the moon lit sky and enjoying each others company. He wished he could stay here, with Herondive, for always.

It was getting colder at night, but his long fur kept him warm, and this close he'd keep her warm too. Like a proper tom with a she-cat he cared for. If he weren't the medicine cat, she'd be his by now. He'd have done whatever it took to be her mate, to be with her. Even if it meant they had to keep meeting like this, he'd see her every night. He'd square up to her father, tell Hawkstar himself that he would take care of Herondive, that she was the stars themselves to him. Whatever it took to keep her. He would never ask her to leave her family, he didn't know wht he'd do, but he would figure it out. But that, too, was fantasy.

"Hiding it would be better then both of us losing sleep all the time. Besides, the Gathering only happens once a season, so it wouldn't be hard to make sure everything was gone before the clans arrived. Nothing is too much work, if it means I can sleep next to you."

His heart clenched painfully inside him, feeling like it was being ripped apart as she suggested they just leave. "I wish I could. I truly do." The fantasy was tearing apart at the seams now, but it wasn't lost yet. He wanted to say something, words tumbled through his heart and sang in his soul. He leaned back from the sweet scent of Herondive, looking into her luminous blue eyes and giving her a lop-sided smile. "Herondive." He had to take a breath, tell himself that it would all be alright, before he could finish his words to her. "You are my heart. I adore you, I wish I could be at your side all the time, I miss you when we're apart. I know we can't be together, but I can't stop wishing we could, wanting to see you, talk to you, sit cuddled up next to you like we are now. I want to protect you from everything that would come against you, I want you to be mine forever. I love you, Herondive, and no circumstances between us will ever change that."

BlooRey DVD

[BlooRey DVD]

HERONDIVE

She'd been lost in her little thoughts, smiling softly at the idea of the pair of them scrambling to tuck away a makeshift nest located in the midst of StarClan's Claws every season. Another layer to their convoluted mess of secrets. It was an exhilarating thought, especially as such a plan would offer her the chance to sleep at his side, even if only in small increments of time. For the thousandth time that night, the fantasy beckoned her, a siren's call through the still air. Lose yourself, it whispered. Be with him.

His weight easing away from her just so distracted her from the depths of her own mind. Bright blue eyes blinked questioningly at him, but any question she might have asked disappeared when he spoke her name, stolen away by the handsome smile on his features. With every word that followed, her heart hammered against the confines of her rib-cage, desperate to escape. She felt lightheaded, unable to decipher whether it was due to the words he spoke, or whether it was her body telling her she needed to breathe. Not wanting to shatter the moment, for fear she would wake to find it had all been a dream, the cream and white StoneClan warrior begged her lungs to hold out a little longer.

And then he said it.

With a gasp sharpened by a wave of surprise, she was nearly overwhelmed by the warring emotions within her once more. He'd reiterated a constant, nagging fear in the back of her mind, that this couldn't last and that they couldn't be together like she so desperately wanted. But he'd also said so much more. He'd said everything that danced on the tip of her tongue, given life to the swell of emotion in her chest whenever she saw him. Closing the small distance between them again, she buried her head against the thick fur of his chest, breathing in his scent as she fought off the tell-tale sting of tears in her eyes.

"I love you, too." She breathed, surprised at the ease with which the words tumbled from her jaws. If what she felt for Falconstorm was wrong.. She didn't care about being right anymore. She saw a life with him. Herondive, the she-cat who'd been constantly confused about the motherhood fantasies of some apprentices and younger warriors while growing up, saw something more with him. Falconstorm made it possible to see herself with kits.

Swallowing hard against the sorrow climbing up her throat, the cream and white she-cat whispered against his neck fur. "I know.. What you say is t-true." Her voice cracked on the final word of her sentence, and the StoneClan warrioress was forced to take a shuddering breath to steady herself. "But... Let's keep pretending. Let's... Let's build that nest here, whisper stories under the moonlight about what might have been, all the what ifs and might have beens..." Slowly, she lifted her head to meet his gaze with her tear-flecked blue one, that sorrowful but affectionate smile flickering over her features.

"Pretend with me, just... Just a little longer."

warrior of stoneclan

Justice  | background image | table by phoenix

Note: 30 moons

[Justice]

Falconstorm

Medicine Cat 40 Moons TreeClan

He grinned, the lop-sided, goofy grin of those in love. And his fear that she'd throw those feelings back at him, that she wouldn't be able to accept his love and the deep devotion he felt towards her, disappeared as she spoke the words in return. Joy spread through him, starting in his heart and heading outwards towards his paws. He was happy, even as he questioned why StarClan showed him his perfect love, his soul mate, when they'd called him to be a medicine cat.

But that was a worry for another place and time. For now they were together, the night was before them, and she wanted to pretend. He could forget, for a time. So he stood, stepping back from her so that they were no longer entangled, and butted his head against hers. "What should we build our nest out of, Herondive?" Pretend, don't think about the daylight, think only of comfort and sleep and Herondive. His beloved.

What stories could he tell? What questions did he dare to ask about her? Did he dare talk about some of his deeper thoughts? That he often dreamed that they were together somehow, that the clans and his duties all lined up so that he could be her mate and they were together, that in those dreams she was swelled with his kits and their greatest worry was impending parenthood? No. Not yet, not tonight.

Lighter things, more possible things. "Shall we be cheeky and put the nest under the stone the leaders sit on?"

You felt the gravity of tempered grace falling into empty space
No one there to catch you in their arms

## BlooRey DVD Notes

[BlooRey DVD]

HERONDIVE

Slowly, the cream and white she-cat pushed herself up from her half-crouched position. Without Falconstorm at her side, the air was much cooler, and she fluffed her fur to combat the chill. Despite the shift in temperature, her focus remained on the pale-furred TreeClan tom and his lop-sided grin. With every heartbeat she spent watching him, she could feel her sorrow melting away. Purring against him when he butted her head gently with his own, Herondive felt the growing distance between herself and all the typical labels she bore.

Here, she wasn't a StoneClan warrior. Here, she wasn't Hawkstar's daughter, she wasn't a mentor. She was just... Herondive. A cat with a name, a cat who'd fallen for another cat with a name. And with every curling stream of her breath, every moment she spent looking into his pale blue gaze... She found it easier and easier to forget her Clan life.

A smile bloomed on her lips, slow and small to begin, growing mischievous as the gears of her mind concocted a plan. "What about in the shadow of the claw behind the leaders' stone?" She suggested, her tail flicking towards the large rock fixture reaching toward the sky. "Leaders always stand on it the same way, don't they? In the dark of the night, no one will notice a nest hidden at the base of one of the great spires." Ducking her head beneath his slightly to rub her cheek against his shoulder, she padded forward to point out her suggested stone with her tail.

Turning back to fix him with a blue-eyed gaze, she tipped her head curiously. His question on what material she wanted to make the nest of made her pause momentarily. She'd never considered that perhaps the different Clans used varying material types based on availability. "I.. Generally use moss and feathers. Feathers are my favorite when I can find them." She told him, pawing the ground almost shyly with a smile before peeking back up at him.

"What about you..?" She questioned as her breathing steadied. Pretending... It was definitely much easier than facing the darker thoughts looming just around the corner. With a silent prayer to StarClan, begging them to allow this moment to last a little while longer, Herondive turned a curious ear toward the pale furred tom who'd so captivated her.

warrior of stoneclan

Justice  | background image | table by phoenix

Note: 30 moons

[Justice]

The shadow of the stone? He grinned and went to sweep away any debris that may have gathered in the spot with his tail. "Works for me." He certainly wasn't picky about where they made their nest together, provided they got it built to their happiness and got to sleep in it together before daylight came and forced him back to TreeClan for another span of time. "And its incredibly clever." He hummed softly as he cleared the area and circled back around to stand before Herondive again. His task complete.

But she'd shown him so much beyond the barriers of his own Clan, probably without ever realizing it. There was much more to life in the valley than clans and rivalries. Love found its own unique shapes wherever it chose to form. In this case, with the two of them.

"Feathers and moss would be easy enough to find..." He muttered, distracted for a moment by his task before he realized she was talking to him again. Hopefully Herondive didn't mind that his thoughts wandered when he was set to a task of any sort. It made him good at what he did, since he could focus his attention entirely on one thing, but meant he could lose track of other things. "My nest has small stones around the base then moss and soft clover leaves. Also mint, when I can spare it. I like the scent."

He frowned for a moment. Did clover even grow near here? He shook his head. "Moss and feathers should be good for tonight, we can always add to it later. Over time." His way of telling her he intended for this to be more than a one night thing.

BlooRey DVD

[BlooRey DVD]

HERONDIVE

A distinct purr escaped the cream and white she-cat at his words. Unable to resist the urge to press her face against his chest fur, the StoneClan warrioress rumbled her agreement in the form of a muffled “Mmhm.” The thought of coming back, of building a nest, their nest over time… She felt as though she’d grown wings and could soar higher than the distant treetops. With a contented sigh, Herondive stepped back, blue eyes venturing over StarClan’s Claws, inspecting the surroundings for any hint of moss or feathers. As she mulled over his previous words, her mind picked up on a small detail she’d heard.

Her head tilted fractionally, curious gaze flicking over him almost shyly. “You…. Said that you like the scent of mint? What… What does mint do, in the medicine cat world?” Although she was interested in the answer to a degree, her true intention was to get it for her own nest. To remind her of him when they were apart. Ducking her head to hide the dull flare of embarrassment heating her skin, the StoneClan she-cat observed the ground at her paws. Collecting herself, but keeping an ear tilted toward him to catch any answer he might give, Herondive began searching for moss and feathers.

Eventually, she spotted a growth of moss on the base of the leaders’ perch. With an excited flick of her tail and renewed bounce to her step, Hawkstar’s daughter sauntered to the dark green growth. Nosing the moss gently to pick up on some of the fresher bits, she began tearing off pieces before triumphantly turning to face him. Her features glowed with a comfortable warmth she wasn’t sure she felt with anyone else, and for a flicker of a moment she felt guilty. Her mind told her she would tell Falconstorm anything he asked. Yet, she couldn’t say the same about even her best friends.

Hazelcloud and Honeynose… They wouldn’t understand. They’d tell her this wasn’t right. But how couldn’t it be right when she felt this happy? She was hiding this from them, but it was to protect them. At least, as she trotted back to the designated spot for her new nest with Falconstorm, that’s what she told herself. “I… Hope this moss is alright. Did you… Find anything good around here?” She purred gently after setting the moss at their paws. This can’t be wrong.

warrior of stoneclan

Justice  | background image | table by phoenix

Note: 30 moons

[Justice]

Falconstorm

Medicine Cat 40 Moons TreeClan

They'd made a nest in short order, something that pleased him. It wasn't perfect, but they had all the time in the world to make it perfect for them. So long as nobody found it they could build on it and improve it and make it everything they could want. For as long as they could stand to keep carrying on together. He offered a smile when she asked him what mint was for. "The moss is perfect. I've found a few smooth stones to contain it all. Mint has a strong, soothing scent. It has multiple uses, but mostly I use it for upset stomachs and colds."

He used his large paws to arrange things more, settling the stones one at a time with his paws and nose until he was content with them. All that remained was to add the two of them. Falconstorm got into the nest and circled around in it, diligently flattening the new moss and material so that it would be comfortable for Herondive then settling down to lay down. "Come join me, dear heart. I'll see if I can bring us some peppermint next time. I think you'll like the scent of it too."

He wished there was more for them to look forward to, more than these stolen moments. And even though he was pretending otherwise, eventually it would have to end. Herondive would take his heart with her when it ended, and he doubted he'd ever get it back again. He'd be a shell of himself, but he wouldn't have broken any laws really. A medicine cat could fall in love, despite everything. He just couldn't be her mate, couldn't give her beautiful kits that were theirs, couldn't go up to her father and tell him that he loved Herondive and wanted to be her mate no matter that they were from two separate clans. It didn't matter. He loved her. She was the breath in his lungs, the joy in his soul. Herondive was life, and she shone with it. Always.

You felt the gravity of tempered grace falling into empty space
No one there to catch you in their arms

## BlooRey DVD Notes

[BlooRey DVD]

HERONDIVE

The cream and white she-cat tipped her head in interest as Falconstorm described the various uses for mint. Upset stomachs… And colds. She thought to herself. I can remember that. Smiling to herself slightly, wholly satisfied with her most recent discovery, Herondive followed the pale tom with her gaze as he moved about to give the nest some finishing touches. Honestly, she was so content just watching him, carefully padding down the moss to form a space big enough for two. And yet, how could she refuse his request? Her heart leapt in her chest as he called her ‘dear heart’.

She was certain that, had she not been covered in fur, she would have gone redder than a cardinal. Rising to pad toward his beckoning, she placed one paw in front of the other, holding her breath all the while. It wasn’t until she slipped into the nest beside him, settling against the curve of his larger frame that she exhaled. Every moment felt like a dream, one that would shatter with any sudden movement. But feeling him beside her, being wrapped in his scent… That was unmistakably real, and it sent her heart into a flurry.

“I would like that… I would like that a lot.” She purred, blue eyes looking up at him as she smiled. Leaning forward to rest her head on his powerful shoulders, she let herself bask in the warmth of his presence. In her mind, she began to erase the boundaries in their way. She constructed their own little world, one devoid of Clan boundaries, and of duties. Herondive erased it all until only she and Falconstorm remained. It was a perfect little world, one she would hold close to her heart until the very end. Of that, she was certain.

Slowly, blue eyes drew up to the stars above. Observing the light-spattered expanse high above absently, Herondive’s mind was suddenly drawn to the time she’d witnessed what looked like stars streaming from the sky above with her best friends by her side. Creamy ears perked up at the memory, her jaws shifting on their perch. “…Falconstorm?” She whispered into the silent night air. Waiting until she heard a gentle acknowledgement, Herondive continued. “Have you.. Have you ever seen the running stars..?”

Briefly, she wondered if he’d have any idea what she was talking about. She didn’t really mind if he didn’t; she would be content so long as she heard his voice again.

warrior of stoneclan

Justice  | background image | table by phoenix

Note: 30 moons