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[Howlfire]

"ThunderClan really sent patrols out after me?" Howlpaw doesn't know why she's so shocked by this news in truth. She still has many kin in ThunderLClan, and though not all of them approved of her joining her father's clan, she knew they still loved her dearly. No doubt her grandmother herself would have been demanding patrols the moment she found of Howlpaw's capture.

As SkyClan's territory gives way to land more common to that in ThunderClan, Howlpaw gets a familiar pang in her chest. She had chosen SkyClan and would remain loyal to that clan forevermore, but she could not forget the place where she spent most of her youth and where much of her family still resided. Soon the smells of ThunderClan cats hit her nose and she knows they must be near. Howlpaw comes to a stop and looks back at her father and brother. "I guess we wait then," She said with a nervous chuckle. Stars, why did this make her feel almost as nervous as the first gathering after her family divided.

@BLAZESTAR @Fireflypaw
feel free to post before them but don't overwhelm the thread please <3​

 

[BLAZESTAR]

Blazestar almost cannot believe he is walking alongside his kits again, flanked by both his eldest son and his youngest daughter (of this litter, anyway). He finds himself glancing to see if Howlpaw is really there, tangible, solid. The vibrancy of her auburn-dappled fur is grounding. There is no stardust in her pelt. She skips along as though she'd never left.

Her question brings a sad smile to the Ragdoll's muzzle. "Both Howlingstar and Little Wolf were beside themselves," he murmurs. He glances at Fireflypaw, vision damaged, eyes scarred beyond recovery, and feels creeping dread at having to tell Little Wolf her eldest son has been blinded. He shakes his head and murmurs, "Burnpaw and Moonpaw, too, and the rest of your ThunderClan kin. They thought you were dead."

They come to the border soon, pine needles crunching underpaw. Blazestar's tired blue eyes skim the undergrowth for any sign of an approaching ThunderClan patrol. If they're lucky, Little Wolf or Howlingstar themselves will appear, but he rarely is.​

[ PENNED BY MARQUETTE ]​

​

 

[WOLFWIND]

At the scent of SkyClan, the rise of her hackles isn't as immediate as it may have been for any other. The scent of RiverClan has her side aching; ShadowClan spends her into a sprint quicker than and squirrel might, but SkyClan remains teetering within a comfortable threshold. (Well, confortable for them, maybe. Wolfwind doesn't know how to feel, and she hates that). Not foe, not-quite friend. With kin within their borders, she could never truly hate them as much as she'd like to.

There is a certain disdain she holds for their leader. Kittypet heritage not easily hidden. She feels that he's ruined her aunt somehow. Left the woman love-drunk enough to pick out names even Sunnyday wouldn't give. His warriors loyalties were shaky, at best, (though, ugh, was that really exclusive to him?). It's like he's learned nothing, that man. And then...

Well, any musings toward Howlpaw are in the gutter the moment she sees them. No patrol, just the Kittypet King himself... Fireflypaw, and Howlpaw. Hardly one for dramatics (a lie), she gasps regardless, quickening her pace toward the tawny tortoiseshell (and the other two, she guesses.) " Howlpaw! " she damn - near screeches, a genuine smile adorning her face at the sight of her cousin. It feels like forever since she's seen her, but damn, was this sight better than the one her corpse would make. The stars have been kind enough to give their kin a much-needed break. " You're okay! What– what happened? " She glances to Howlpaw's sibling, then, eyes widening as she sees the gnarly scars across the eyes. " Oh shit. What happened? " she parrots, voice lilting in dismay, this time.​

 

[LITTLE WOLF]

Little Wolf had mourned Howlpaw with the rest of her family. There had been no bones to bury but she had stood her own private vigil. Her son had come to comfort her among other, had pressed his darker hued pelt into hers and though he tried to hide it, he had cried with her while looking up at the stars, wondering if she and Morningpaw were up there, looking down upon them, watching over them along with their grandfather. She had busied herself since then, trying to keep herself from over worrying about Moonpaw, about Burnpaw and Skypaw and Duskpaw. She wants to lock them away in camp, protect them from such a cruel cruel world but she knows she cannot. She knows she cannot keep them sheltered from it all, as much as she wants to. As unfortunate as it is, loss is just a part of life.

She makes her way through the trees, following the scent of prey until she finds herself closer to the SkyClan border than she had been in quite a while. The sound of voices, the familiar scent of SkyClanners, it makes her pause. Her ears flick as she hears Wolfwinds screech, though she cannot quite discern the words. Cautiously, with a puzzled look set upon her face, she makes her way forward until she is stepping out of the woods and into the small clearing.

Her eyes alight on Blazestar first, surprise lighting up her features. She had not been expecting to see him here... Then her gaze travels to the young cat at his side. She completely freezes, body rigid as she stares at that familiar tortoishell fur. Her eyes fill with tears and she has to blink in order to confirm what she is really seeing. "Howlpaw is it really you?" she asks, her voice hoarse. If this was a trick from the stars it was a cruel one but.. Little Wolf rushes forward, breezing past her niece, past her former mate so that she can embrace the cat she had thought she had lost. She immediately is bombarding the poor apprentice with frenzied licks, grooming her pelt the way she had once done when Howlpaw was a kit "Oh my beautiful daughter" she says through tears "I thought... I thought I would never see you again" not until she herself took her place among the stars "What happened?" she pulls away to look at her, to look at Blazestar, waiting for the explanation that her and Wolfwind wanted to hear. Not like it mattered much, though, Howlpaw was okay, she was alive and here and that was what was important to her.
​

 

[Howlfire]

They aren't kept waiting too long before the scent of ThunderClan grows stronger suddenly, indicating a patrol might have been nearby. At the prospect of seeing a familiar face, Howlpaw sits a little straighter. The first cats to arrive is Wolfwind one of her cousins. Wolfwind's expression isn't exactly positive when she spots Blazestar but when her amber eyes finally find Howlpaw, she brightens up quickly and practically screams out her name. "Gee, Wolfwind, were you always this loud or did I just forget?" Howlpaw chuckles, looking at her cousin fondly.

As Wolfwind's attention flickers to Fireflypaw another cat approaches. A hoarse yet all too familiar voice calls out her name and Howlpaw sharply turns her head to look at her mother. When she had last thought of her mother she had been angry and upset, left dejected at the thought she had potentially been replaced by half-siblings she would potentially never know. Before she had gotten captured by twolegs there had been many angry words she had wanted to say to her, so many questions she had wanted to ask. Time away from her family had softened her rage, but there was still hurt there deep down. But for a day she could put it all aside. Little Wolf quickly rushes forward, brushing past everyone so that mother and daughter could embrace. Howlpaw tries to pull away a little as Little Wolf grooms her, feigning annoyance but purring all the while. "I didn't think I'd see you again, either. Any of you," Howlpaw says with a quiet tone when her mother pulls away and looks at her family on both sides. When Little Wolf asks what happens, echoing a question Wolfwind had also asked earlier, Howlpaw shifts uncomfortably a little. "It was my fault," Howlpaw admits after a long moment. "When I found out you had other kits I was angry and upset. I thought you were replacing me and Fi!" Her voice was now starting to rise into a bit of a tearful whimper. "It wasn't long after the gathering that I snuck out of camp needing to clear my mind. Nothing made sense and I just needed some time to think away from everyone. I was walking close to the border with the twolegplace when a twoleg came out of nowhere and tried to grab me. I was scared and tried to run away but they were faster than me and threw me into one of their monsters and took me to a place called the shelter. I was by myself for so long...I didn't think I would ever leave that place much less see any of my family or my home again." Howlpaw pauses again and looks between those present, amber eyes drinking them all in as though she fears it really will be the last time she sees them again. ​

 

[BERRYHEART]

Odd, to feel intrusive upon your own kin... but as soon as he had heard a menagerie of familiar voices, the medicine cat was quick to trot toward the source. It had been heavy determination that had pushed him home when he had heard the news of Dynamo's apparent death- a glowing light of a life, snuffed by yet another madman. He had been nauseated by cruelty, sickened by the loss, for the following days... but above all, had kept a watchful gaze upon his sister. The sprawling sadness she felt did not need to have a keen eye traced upon it to be noticeable.

His crooked jaw fell slack at the sight, usually-expressionless features falling loose for a moment. A smidgen wider were his eyes, steadfast for a moment upon the patched pelt he did not think he would see again until he joined the Stars. Acknowledging them briefly, his gaze swept over Fluffy and Sootypaws- but he deduced they must be aware of where his attention would primarily be placed. They were family too, but... they had not been dead. Assumed so, at least.

As Dynamo recounted her experience, is ears swivelled visibly to attention, settled upon each word and taking her story in as though it was the only one he had ever heard. The Shelter... it was a sinister name, and sounded almost as if it were a euphemism for death. He would leave the tearful assertion that Kindles and Dapples were not replacements to his sister. "Dynamo..." he croaked, low... his voice was curved with a rarely-seen smile. "I'm glad you're safe."​

PENNED BY PIN ☾​

 

[HOWLINGSTAR]

It's days like these Howlingstar feels truly at peace. Out in the forest with her kin, she and the other she-cats hunting while Berryheart noses around for herbs. Her family is the most important thing in the world to her, and she has mourned their losses the best she could while remaining strong for her kits and her clan. But she often thinks of the ones they've lost. Morningpaw and Howlpaw, likely hunting in the stars with Gray Wolf right now. It at least brings her some comfort.

Wolfwind's screech has her whirling around, expecting to find something else facing them. A predator, an enemy patrol (which would shock her at SkyClan's border). Alongside the others, she races through the foliage to catch up with her granddaughter before sliding to a halt as she spots the cats on the other side of the border. Blazestar, Fireflypaw, and- "Howlpaw!" The older tabby yowls, frozen in shock as she stares at her patched face for a moment longer. When she finally wills her paws to move, she bursts forward and presses into her, nuzzling her scruff to breathe in her scent as her mother tries to groom her.

She listens to her terrifying tale, blinking at her with wide eyes. "Oh, thank StarClan they brought you home," She croaks, tears gathering in her eyes as she smiles fondly. Home. How heartbreaking it is that it isn't in a ravine surrounded by brambles and oak trees, but for once she doesn't care. Howlpaw is safe, even if her chosen home is elsewhere. It's all that matters. She lifts her gaze to look at Blazestar, unable to hide the relieved, tiny shake of her head. "I can only assume SkyClan had something to do with her returning," She trills, voice cracking with emotion. "Thank you." She doesn't know why she's thanking him. Howlpaw is his daughter - of course he'd do everything in his power to get her back. Even still, her heart swells with gratitude towards the tom she can finally, after all these moons, call something of a friend.​