[Deleted]

FLAMELIGHT

21 Moons TreeClan Warrior Tom

Flamelight didn't mean to sneak out of camp. Not really. He had restless paws. So he mentioned he'd be going hunting and just... left. His paws carrying him, on a sort of autopilot. 

He remembered, with crystal clear clarity, his numerous failed attempts to sneak back to RainClan with his brother as a kit. In a way, he was glad he didn't actually manage to get back there. Lionstar had taken care of him and Panthermask, in actuality... if they had stayed in TreeClan after the death of their mother and father, they'd have both died. 

He'd always thank the regal tom for that. 

There were times where he missed his 'mother' and 'sisters' - but he still got to see them every now and again at gatherings. So it wasn't as if he'd lost them completely. Not like his mother and father. Stolen from him before he'd even had his eyes open.

Oh well. He'd meet them again. They'd be in StarClan waiting for him. When his time came, he'd see them again. 

He looked up, startled from his thoughts by the (stale) scents of many, many cats. He'd ended up at StarClan's Claws? How? Had he really been walking that long?

"There must be a reason my paws bought me here tonight."

He pulled himself to a sit, waiting for something to happen. 

When darkness comes, I'll light the night with stars

williams Fawn (Lionstar mention) 242

[williams]

It was easy to say Brindlejay had meant to go to Starclan's Claws. He had gone to rest and be closer to Starclan, that was a believable idea. Like the young warrior had finally learned Nightclan's territory and where the borders were without getting lost in the scents.

He had the best nose in the clan, according to Foxstar, and could track anyone down with ease. Prey stood no chance against his large still-clumsy paws. He could track birds in the air even. Yet today, he found himself at the edge of the Claws, blinking out of the fog at the beautiful stones in surprise at his own paws. There was a purpose to his wandering, Brindlejay had discovered, though had yet to understand it fully. Certain scents would capture his attention, tug at his paws till they moved on their own accord. He just had to know where the scents led, no matter what the landscape became on the journey. Something, familiar, had drawn him here, and now it was time to find out what.

The warrior picked his way carefully through the landscape, nose high from curiosity. Then, his sight caught the source first, a large excited smile blooming on his face at the tom standing looking equally at lost as Brindlejay had. "Flame!" He called, trotting to close the distance between them, tail high in excitement.

@calico || love these two ahh

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[Deleted]

FLAMELIGHT

21 Moons TreeClan Warrior Tom

Brindlepaw! He knew there was a reason he was here. 

He was so happy. It was as if, in seeing Brindlepaw, all his sadness, his woes, his worries... they just melted away.

He looked... bulkier. More grown out. Like the harshness of Leafbare hadn't affected him too much. Could just be fluff though. Looks could be deceiving. Either way, he looked so well. Like life was treating him kindly. 

StarClan, he'd missed Brindlepaw so much. He wished he could share the fluffy tom's nest at night. But he was in TreeClan, Brindlepaw in NightClan... it would just never work. 

He had so much to tell him. So much to catch up on. 

Tail straight up in the air, Flamelight covered the small distance between them in a couple of leaps. 

"I've missed you so much! I've got so much to tell you! I'm a warrior now! Flamelight was the name Lionstar gave me... and... and I have an apprentice of my own. I'm so worried about it, like what if I mess up and Leopardpaw doesn't like me or what if Lionstar sees me for the phony I am and removes him from my care and puts him with someone else? I spend most of my days when not training him worrying about what i'm going to do next...

But what has been going on with you? Tell me everything!"

Flamelight nuzzled Brindlepaw, pressing up close to him for two main reasons: One, he just wanted to be close to him; two, he wanted to be warm.

Laying his head on the other cat's flank, he surrounded himself with his scent, trying to remember everything about this particular moment.

When darkness comes, I'll light the night with stars

williams Abyss (Leopardpaw mention) |306| He has no idea Brindle has his warrior name yet <3

[williams]

Brindlejay ran the rest of the distance to Flamelight, practically crashing into the smaller tom in his excitement. His green eyes glowed with joy at hearing his friend's words. He was a warrior too! He had an apprentice! A grin filled his features, bringing out his dimples and making the tom's fluffy face look even more homely. The trip had not been a waste, it had been created by Starclan for Brindlejay to find his dear friend again. "Congrats on your warrior name, it's beautiful" He said first, curling his fluffy tail around Flamelight to keep him close. Logic ruled the decision, as his den mates stayed close for the same reason: warmth. The tom's fur was thick, the body underneath said fur still pudgy compared to the rest of his lithe clanmates. It made the nests closest to Brindlejay the most sought out spots-- well the ones besides the ones Nettleheart claimed for her and her brother. (He didn't mind her stubborn will keeping the spots either. The spiky calico was sweet under it all, and her brother was kind.)

"I'm a warrior now too!! Foxstar named me Brindlejay, I think after my tracking abilities," The tom admitted shyly after curling the pair down into a more comfortable position."I don't have an apprentice yet, but I'm leading patrols, and I feel like I'm getting a hang of the territory finally." The laugh that followed was light, the warrior almost comfortable with his ridiculous knack at getting lost in his own lands. It was a gentle prod too, to their first meeting. Starclan, Brindlejay decided, put the pair of them together instead of punishing him for getting lost. And looking at the ginger tom, he knew that he was smitten and would remain so.

"Tell me about your apprentice though, and why you feel like you're going to lose him. If Lionstar trusts you with an apprentice, he knows you'll do well, right? Have you and Leopardpaw fought or something?" His next words kept on the topic at hand, the comment his friend made that worried him the most. He didn't tell Flamelight about Nightclan's plans to get back the border, though when he asked for everything, the thought did come to mind. Discussing the borders would just remind the pair that they were from separate clans, and could possibly meet on the battlefield. Internally, he shook his head. He didn't want that dragging them down tonight.

@calico || notes

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[Deleted]

FLAMELIGHT

21 Moons TreeClan Warrior Tom

It was incredible, just how easy he felt when he was next to Brindlejay. Just the thought of how proud he must have been when he received his name filled Flamelight with so much love. S

Snuggling closer, partly for warmth, partly to rest his head on top of Brindlejay's, his purr (Flamelight was sure) was audible from the very edge of their territories. But, in that moment, Flamelight didn't care. He was happy just to be curled up with Brindlejay, stealing this moment, pretending their actual lives didn't exist. 

Everything in reality - his Clan, his apprentice, his leader - were so far away from Flamelight's thoughts in this moment. 

He was happy. He was peaceful. He was... falling asleep? That couldn't be. 

Forcing himself awake, he noticed that Brindlejay was speaking. Shaking the drowsiness away, he looked shyly down at the ground before replying.

"Not fought, he's a plucky little soul who is so eager to learn... I'm so proud of him. I'm just worried, what if I'm not good enough to teach him everything he needs to learn? I've only been a warrior myself for a few moons. I just think that he should have been perhaps entrusted to a more... experienced warrior.

I just don't want to mess it up. Leopardpaw deserves better than that."

Flamelight wished he could stay in this moment forever. 

When darkness comes, I'll light the night with stars

williams Fawn 247 SHENANIGANS!

[Fawn]

Lionstar

The crown is getting heavy
But they've written my name in the stars

Restless paws were common in leafbare; Clan cats could not hunt as often as they liked, owing to the weather and to the miserable temperatures at night. So when Lionstar made the rounds, wordlessly checking all the dens to make sure each were comfortable and no drafts were detectable, it wasn't a total surprise to see a few empty nests.

It looked like more than just the two camp guards, however. Rounding his way to the entrance, Lionstar greeted the first guard stationed at the mouth of the fallen tree - the second was just a foxlength ahead, near the Ancient Stump and able to alert him first should any danger arise.

"Flamelight's gone for a walk." said Fawnspring dutifully, though the little she-cat looked incredibly miserable, the cold nipping at her extremities and making a mockery of her short coat.

Lionstar's head tilted slightly, considering. "How long has he been gone?"

"I'm not sure," she admitted, fidgeting - or perhaps trying to keep warm - "a while?"

"I'll find him." Lionstar rested his tail on the little she-cat's body, coaxing her to the warrior's den. "Go rest, have Berrythorn and Hawkchaser replace you and Stonejaw." The young warrior nodded gratefully and disappeared.

He repeated his message to Stonejaw, and while the guards were replaced with two groggy-eyed warriors, Lionstar put his tracking abilities to good use. He likely had no reason to worry about Flamelight, the tom was smart and resourceful - he'd find his way back in due time - but Lionstar knew he would personally rest easy knowing that every Clanmate was safely tucked up in their nest.

Only then could he curl up beside his own mate, Honeysong, and dream away the winter.

Flamelight's pawprints brought him to StarClan's Claws, and the spiritual significance was not lost on Lionstar. He empathize with the young tom, orphaned in the blink of an eye. This place, second only to the Moon Tree, was the best place to feel connected to those that came before.

Lionstar stayed at the perimeter, golden eyes narrowing to focus on a peculiar shape curled up near one of the stone spires. Flamelight's voice he recognized, and Lionstar, with a growing sense of grim understanding, approached what he now saw as two shapes merged into one.

Flamelight's ginger and white fur stood out against the generous mottled fluff of the second cat. Lionstar did not know the youngster's name, but he knew the scent that was no doubt seeping into Flamelight's with every passing heartbeat.

"Flamelight," rumbled Lionstar, his voice neutral but serious as he cast a lion's shadow over the couple. "It's time to go."

There was always that backlash of suspicion and disappointment, when he caught a Clanmate involved in something that did not align with their Code. This was different than siding with Falconstorm on whether or not medicine cats should take mates. This was, Lionstar was sorry to say, something he could not allow.

"Return to your Clan." Lionstar addressed the fluffy young warrior, but there was no warmth or patience in his voice. "Flamelight, come here."

I've been building up all these kingdoms for so long
It's good to be king

96 Moons || TreeClan || 511 Words || @calico williams