[lone]

Originally Posted by Lilly

@Lonestar23

Originally Posted by Lilly

It was a rather cool day, though the sun still shone overhead the grassy fields of StarClan’s territory. A slight breeze drifted through the treetops and the sound of bird chirping accompanying it. The blades of grass swayed a little with each change of the wind. A light brown furred feline stepped carefully across the open territory, eyes open wide and ears perked as she studied the unfamiliar territory. No Clan scents were detectible, which confused the she-cat; hadn’t she fallen asleep earlier in the WindClan warrior’s den? Or had her evening walk taken her further than she intended to go? Shaking her head, Heathertail decided to simply enjoy it. It was nice, the breeze offered some slight comfort from the sun that shone down on her, warming her fur.

This peaceful quiet place brought back memories of her strolls with Shrikecall. A stab of grief pierced her heart and tears stung at the bottom of her eyes. The deputy’s passing had been hard on her, though they had never been “official” in the eyes of their Clan. She had grieved in silence during his vigil, letting his family and close friends gather by his side as she lay in the distance, a stone cold expression on her face as she watched his lifeless body. The moon had made his fur a stunning shade of silver, making him even more handsome than he already was. After a moment, she had gotten up and left the camp, silently crying to herself as she walked the same paths they used to pad together.

Heathertail blinking, suddenly being knocked back to the present moment. Her paw pads felt sore, as though she had been walking for moons, and a dull pain echoed in her head. “Why did you have to take him?” she breathed, to no cat in particular, as her shoulders shook. She was getting old, no doubt, and the stress that had accumulated since Shrikecall’s death definitely wasn’t good. She knew she should talk to someone, but most of the feline’s friends were already passed, or were in the elders’ den sleeping. “I miss you…” She wished that he would visit her in her dreams. That he would come to her, and tell her that he was okay. She didn’t doubt that the noble tom had made it to StarClan, but a little reassurance wouldn’t hurt.

Glancing upwards towards the blinding sun, the birds and summer scent dancing around her, she saw down and wrapped her tail around her paws, remaining quiet for a moment. The grief wasn’t too bad now, merely a shadow that loomed over her. But this place, it quieted the storm a bit, made the wind stop howling inside her head, and the pieces of her broken heart from falling. Something about it seemed familiar, yet the WindClan senior warrior’s memory was fading slowly, and it was hard to pinpoint why this serene atmosphere felt so secure and safe to her. Could it be StarClan…? She entertained the thought for only a few fleeting seconds before passing the silly idea away. Though she still believed in her ancestors with a fire in her chest, she couldn’t help but feel as though they had abandoned her since Shrikecall’s passing.

If anyone had asked Shrikecall whether he thought he was going to die soon, he would have said yes. An older warrior like him? Please. The elders' den would have been the proper place for a warrior of his age, but Shrike had never been one to give up that way. He would have preferred to die on the battlefield - and while infection wasn't really the 'way to go,' so to speak, at least he had gotten to fight one more time. But, StarClan was not Shrikecall's favorite place at the moment with the tension between ThunderClan and WindClan. He was constantly seeing ThunderClan cats and wishing that he could attack... though Blazingstar probably wouldn't have approved. But, one of the things he missed most was Heathertail. Oh he missed everyone... well... almost everyone in the Clan, but she was special. She was someone who could not be replaced, and the first cat he'd ever had true feelings for.
　
A quiet voice brought Shrikecall's attention towards his love. "Heathertail?" What was she doing here? For a moment he was panicked - she couldn't be dead, right? Not yet. Not now. While Shrikecall would, of course, have loved to be reunited with the brown she cat, he knew that the Clan needed as many warriors as they could get. Yes, that was definitely her. But she didn't have the starry fur that the cats residing here did... which brought Shrikecall a sense of relief. Oh, Heathertail... he missed going on walks with her. He missed how much fun she had been to hang around. He missed everything about her. He knew how hard it had been on her, and while it made him sad to know this - as he would have protected her from that grief if he could - he also knew that she needed to take a breath and calm down. He could never tell her to move on. That would be hard on her.
　
But, Heathertail needed to know that he was there. Approaching the she cat, Shrikecall brushed up alongside her. "Did you miss me?" The former deputy tried, and failed to joke as he felt his throat tightening with emotion. An uncomfortable experience, but he didn't know what to do about it. It was nice to be with Heathertail again. Being seperated from the Clan had been rough, and he knew that things were getting so tense it was uncomfortable. Too bad he couldn't do something about it. That filthy ThunderClan cat's claws had infected him... although he knew it was, in part, his fault for not going to see Surgestorm when he should have. Blazingstar had tried. Others had tried. But he had refused. Curse my stubborn nature. Blame it, not me. He thought with a sigh. Perhaps he should visit the new deputy, what was her name? Onyxwhisper? Or Blazingstar. Or Caracalpaw... the poor apprentice was having a rough time.
　
But for now, he was content to just be with Heathertail. The only thing he regretted was that they couldn't go for their walks here. Perhaps it was time to find a new path to walk. Shrikecall had become less tense and serious since entering StarClan - it was just too relaxing for him to maintain it.