private WHO CAME BEFORE US // visiting graves

[SOOTSTAR]

A heavy fog settles over the moorland, yet if StarClan pushed passed it, they'd clearly see the mother and her young children pushing through the grass. They trotted north-east, to the ShadowClan border.

Mom and dad were buried deep within the swampland, Sootstar would likely never visit their true resting place again. Yet their daughter was WindClan leader, and she knew her father whom she had visited with in StarClan considered WindClan his. So... a memorial was erected for the both of them by their daughters. Heavy stones were scattered and stacked on top of each other, flowers and their petals were sprinkled over the area. The skin of a toad and the skull of a crow also sat nearby for mother and father's favorite prey respectively.

Not much grief settles over her when her gaze lands on the memorial... only a strong sense to impress. To make her parents proud now that she knew they were still watching over and guiding her. Besides, her father's threat still rung in her ears, and he was not the type to not follow through with his warnings.

"Sit." A straight to the point command for her children, they were in the presence of their grandparents. Their ancestors. Even if their bodies weren't laid here, Sootstar was convinced that this memorial allowed for their souls to have some sort of connection to this area. "You both are the grandchildren of Soot Claw and Pebble Breeze. Some of the finest soldiers the marsh group had ever seen in its time. You should take great pride in your heritage. They were buried in the marshland, but we can still visit them and pay our respects from here." Soot explains, looking upon the memorial.

"We must visit this place often, to show them that we have not forgotten and to show our appreciation. They hunt in StarClan now and watch over all of WindClan, we must be forever grateful for their protection, and we must show it." Besides, she didn't want to displease her father even more.

Looking to Shrikepaw and Owlpaw, she nods, "Have you both brought gifts as I asked? Place them now."

// @SHRIKEPAW @OWLPAW
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[OWLPAW]

Owlpaw had not known Soot Claw and Pebble Breeze. They had died long before she was born, buried in the marshlands where she hailed from but had not laid eyes on. However, Sootstar made it clear that she and Shrikepaw should pay their respects regardless. She thought it was a little strange considering they didn't pay respects to any of their other fallen allies, but she would not tell her mother that. Besides, if she respected her grandparents, maybe they could put in a good word with the rest of StarClan for her. She followed the blue smoke dutifully to the memorial placed at the edge of WindClan territory. Far from their burial grounds, but a tribute to the lives they had once led. As the memorial loomed above them, Owlpaw couldn't help but wonder what kind of cats her grandparents had been. Likely strong and capable warriors of the marshlands - had they once been a part of the marsh group? Perhaps they lived long before its existence. It was hard to say.

Sootstar's command had Owlpaw sitting before the memorial, her gift still clutched between her jaws. She listened as her mother explained that they must visit this place often to show their thanks for Soot Claw and Pebble Breeze watching over them. She thought it made sense. Maybe she could come back on her own and talk to them. Maybe they would give her answers about the strange dreams she had, the dreams she was convinced came from StarClan (though that was only a figment of her imagination and self-importance). She dropped her gift in front of the memorial and took a step back. It was a feather from her first catch. She had yet to successfully chase down a rabbit, but she had proudly taken down a bird recently. She hoped her gift would suffice.

"Do we say something?" she asked her mother in a hushed whisper. She assumed just a gift was not enough but she didn't know what to say to her grandparents.​