[TheNyanCatMinecart]

~ WOLFFANG OF WINDCLAN ~

Large, muscular, dappled gray tom with light fluff on the front of his neck and chest; amber eyes.

Wolffang was so glad WindClan had found a new home, but it still felt... strange. Wrong, even.

His amber gaze traveled around the terrain that felt assuring and foreign, home and not home. There was the flat, grassy clearing, lacking the sand that had coated the old one and dotted with ferns; the tightly woven bramble wall, which concealed a drop off a cliff on three sides that, though blocked off, made his pelt prickle; the heather-topped warriors' den, resting by the camp entrance; the nursery, protected by an impenetrable-looking bramble thicket; the den where the only two elders slept, sheltered beneath tall grass and a mossy tree stump in a sandy badger sett whose former occupants also made his fur rise; the apprentices' den, a space dug by WindClan cats beneath a large, spiny gorse bush; and the towering maple tree that Twilightstar now called meetings from, which housed both the leader's and medicine cats' dens.

He didn't want to sound ungrateful - he would thank StarClan every day for the new home they'd helped WindClan discover and the cats who'd searched for it. Leechscar, his former apprentice whom he had a less-than-ideal relationship with, had been one of them. Although a part of Wolffang's mind wished such an important task had been left to someone who actually cared for the Clan, he felt an odd sense of pride that the wayward tom had agreed to do something so important for WindClan. His mind flashed back to the conversation they'd had when Wolffang took him out on his first territory tour. Leechscar, then Leechpaw, had stated that he didn't respect the warrior code, but he'd work for WindClan. His feat was an example of that. Such disrespect shouldn't be tolerated, he thought, but... Though Wolffang had never spoken with Twilightstar, he understood that some cats wouldn't change no matter how hard others tried. Leechscar was one of those cats. As long as he serves WindClan and doesn't cause any problems. Still, his paws itched as he wished again that he'd finished Leechscar's training and guided the warrior better.

Pushing thoughts of the complicated relationship he had with and the dislike he held for his former apprentice, Wolffang refocused on the camp. It's a nice place to live. We got lucky. It had everything WindClan needed to live there. The brambles protected it, and the dens were secure. His mind flashed back to how hard every cat had worked to make it an ideal living space. It warmed his heart to think of how his Clan had worked together in a time of need. However, pain clutched his heart with claws as sharp as the protective bramble wall. We may have found a new place to live, but our old home is gone. Even referring to it as his "old home" filled the former deputy with indescribable grief. He would never forget how the flames had torn across the moor, destroying everything in their path, or the Clanmates they'd lost along the way. He bowed his head for a moment, overcome. He didn't think he'd ever stop mourning the destruction of his birthplace or the deaths. Please, StarClan, guide their paws to your hunting grounds and treat them well.

The destruction, as terrible as it was, hadn't been the only issue WindClan had to face. Wolffang remembered the claustrophobia of the tunnels, the Dusk Syndicate attack, which he'd unfortunately been unable to take part in because he'd been helping the Ashfeather look-alike - more than a look-alike - the struggle of living without a home, the attack of the foxes, the exposure to Outsiders, and those who had gone missing. He hadn't seen Bravebird, Barleybite, or Lilyantler in a while. The claws around his heart squeezed harder, and dark red blood seemed to pour from the rips they induced. I hardly saw Lilyantler during the fire, and Bravebird and Barleybite...

He should've talked to them before everything went to the Dark Forest. He had time, but he didn't use it. Why? he asked himself, flicking his tipless tail in frustration. Were you scared? A coward? Or too caught up in other things? Yet he'd had plenty of free time, right? Before the fire drove WindClan out of its home?

In finding a new place to live, there was hope, which poured from the horizon and filled even the darkest of hearts. But many pieces of Wolffang's felt heavy as he thought of all that had been lost. Like a stone with wings, it lifted and fell again repetitively as loss and love warred to overtake him. How could he live with both?

But life had to move on, as hard as it was.

Twilightstar's meeting call, familiar yet strange as it bounced off the walls of this new place differently than it had in the old camp, sounded from the tree - the Galewood, she'd named it. Wolffang looked at the massive maple tree and spotted his leader, the most formidable he'd ever known, sitting atop its branches. The look on her weathered face was stern, but Wolffang caught the glint of her claws as they gripped the bark tight and her bushed-out fur. Clearly, she didn't feel comfortable up there, and he sympathized. I would never willingly go up a tree, he thought, suppressing a shudder. He certainly preferred the Breezerock.

But that was gone. With a pang in his heart, Wolffang padded forward, feeling the smooth grass beneath his paws and the sun's golden warmth beating down on his dappled gray pelt. The scents of fresh growth and a hint of heather from the warriors' den drifted into his nostrils. My home, he reminded himself. Yet it still felt foreign. Familiar. No, foreign. No, now he knew how it felt: just plain weird.

His Clanmates were gathering, and Wolffang's gaze passed over them. One of the first cats he spotted was Mothpaw. Seeing the severe burns all over the cream-colored apprentice's body made his stomach clench sympathetically. I got lucky. Every cat who'd avoided such severe injuries had. All around, he spotted signs of injury: Cowtuft's limp and Tigerpaw's unsteady gait were examples of that. He felt for each and every one of them. Please, StarClan, help them recover quickly. And if they face permanent injury, help them deal with it the best they can.

Thankfully, there were plenty of cats who looked content. Kits excitedly bounced toward the towering maple tree; cats emerged from dens, yawning as if having woken from a nap. Lightningpaw, the new medicine cat apprentice - and Leechscar's former apprentice - looked exhausted. Wolffang didn't know if he should feel guilty for thinking it, but he was glad that Lightningpaw was now taught by someone who worshipped StarClan and wanted to care for his Clan, not a wayward warrior who scorned both. Leechscar would teach them to be strong and clever. He'd give them the necessary skills, but... still. From the dark gray tom's lack of respect or care for the Clan's functionality, Wolffang was sure he'd leave other necessary parts out of training. It made his fur prick.

He shook himself. Whatever happens with Leechscar happens with him. Despite his faults, he wouldn't be a terrible mentor. Briarpaw drowning wasn't his fault. He had plenty of good qualities. Twilightstar might be caring, but that didn't make her a fool. If she gave him apprentices, she trusted him. Leopardsong seemed to trust him, too. That wouldn't make Wolffang like him or ignore his faults, but... maybe he should keep his nose out of his former apprentice's business unless it became an issue that had to be addressed. Leechscar was his own cat now, and he could make his own decisions. That doesn't make it any less irritating, though.

Any thoughts of Leechscar were completely shed from Wolffang's mind. His gaze flitted across the crowd, seeking a familiar slender, snow-white, leopard-printed pelt. The upset feelings when Wolffang left to head the patrol to find the remains of the old camp had calmed down and been settled. Now he wanted to sit with Leopardsong. She'd been hanging around the kits lately, so if she wasn't available, that was alright. However, in this time of pain, confusion, and renewal, Wolffang desperately wanted to smell her sweet scent and feel the touch of both her soft fur and companionship.

As his large, sturdy figure moved through the crowd, trying not to knock into anyone with his broad shoulders, Wolffang spotted Moorpaw. Briefly, he faltered. His kin was someone else he had to talk to. Should I sit with her instead? he wondered. But they wouldn't be able to talk much during a meeting, and it would be best to talk properly afterward. So, Wolffang turned his paws to her, wanting a quick word before the first announcements began.

"Hey, Moorpaw." His stomach felt tight. StarClan, why was he so nervous? Well, he knew why, but it still felt... weird. In a different way than the new camp, of course. "I... I hope you're doing okay after the fire. If you're up for it, we can talk after the meeting. Catch up. I know we haven't had a proper conversation yet, and I'm sorry for that."

Without waiting for a response, Wolffang turned and vanished into the crowd. Well, "vanished" as much as a cat of his size and stature could. Should I have waited for her response? he wondered, feeling nervous. He shook his head. I'll speak with her after the meeting. If she wants to, of course. I need to find Leopardsong.

Or maybe he should've stayed with Moor-

Stop. It. Again, Wolffang would talk to her later, at a more appropriate time.

As the warrior tried to spot his closest friend, the cat he loved, his gaze occasionally strayed to Twilightstar. Every time he saw her balanced precariously on that branch, her lilac-gray pelt puffed out, a beacon among the dark brown branches, he almost cringed. But he kept his face neutral. Maybe, when I find Leopardsong, we can move to the ground in case Twilightstar falls. Wolffang knew there were other cats, but he wanted to be in a good position to catch the leader if need be.

@Undertaker (Leechscar mention) @lio (Mothpaw mention) @x ghostie (Cowtuft mentioned) @CreeperLover649 (Tigerpaw mention) @Alchemist Kitsune (Lightningpaw mention) @Moonraven (Leopardsong - I assume Leopard and Wolf would've talked their feelings through when Leopard was upset with him going on patrol injured, and Wolf got anxious about her anger. I hope that's fine with you! If not, I can edit my post.) @Abyssopelagic (Moorpaw)