Words of gratitude following his confirmation, Snowybreeze's gaze softened slightly before he shook his head, a silent assurance that no thanks were needed. Answering questions for a clanmate could hardly be called a favor in his eyes. The young tom was always happy for a chat, even if he preferred to be the one being spoken to for the most part. Still, he could hardly fault Wolffang for wishing to ensure he was polite. Snowybreeze himself was constantly - even if less so than before - fretting over ensuring his words wouldn't accidently harm a clanmate's feelings with blunt rudeness. Certainly he wasn't the only cat like that in WindClan!
The soft look on the patched tom's face slowly morphed as Wolffang continued speaking, his eyes growing slightly rounder in surprise, caught entirely off guard by the gray warrior's request.
Deadmoon. It seemed like so long ago now his beloved mentor...
former mentor had been mentioned by any cat other than himself, and even then, he mostly kept her name in his mind and heart. Her name alone would have been enough to surprise the massive warrior, but when mentioned alongside Bravebird, Snowybreeze couldn't help the plummeting feeling in stomach. The addition that Wolffang was Deadmoon's older brother - half or otherwise - simply added to his shock, although it seemed to click comfortably in his mind.
He wondered for a moment if it was just his heart playing tricks on him, wishing to see Deadmoon at least one last time, but for a moment he could almost see a resemblance between the two, a twist of nostalgia and affection playing a cruel joke on his dwindling hope for her return. Snowybreeze kept his ears alert as he focused on Wolffang's questions, although he couldn't help the dread he felt creeping up inside as he bottled it up, refusing to let it surface. He would be the bearer of bad news today, but his fear of the disappointment he was about to unleash upon the gray tom was
nothing compared to what Wolffang would be feeling once he heard. He would keep his composure, for Wolffang's sake. Because if this tom was Deadmoon's brother, he was as good as family as far as Snowybreeze was concerned, and he would put his companion first, just like he knew Deadmoon had done so often with him.
As Wolffang finished his questions, amber gaze burning on Snowybreeze's blue, the gentle giant couldn't help the nervous twitch on his dark ear before he dipped his head again, a sign of regret for what he was about to say, empathy for the pain he was about to cause for the senior warrior, and respect for those who no longer ran the moors with them. Another shake of his head, slow this time, meticulous as his gaze turned to his massive paws momentarily, paws that Deadmoon had helped gain coordination, removing clumsiness and instead focusing on making them strong. An asset for her apprentice instead of the burden he had so long been used to seeing them as. His eyes stinging slightly as he felt a flurry of emotion for his missing former mentor, he couldn't bring himself to start with her, instead focusing on Bravebird instead. Another painful loss for the gray warrior, no doubt, but having happened long enough for the gentle giant that it seemed an easier thing to process.
And the one with the certain answer... no matter how bitter.
"I'm afraid," Snowybreeze mewed in a soft, low tone, turning his gaze back upon his companion before continuing.
"Bravebird is no longer with us." The tom paused here, giving Wolffang time to process what he'd stated before continuing. While unsure of the entire story, Wolffang deserved the information Snowybreeze could share on the matter.
"She was found alone in WindClan's territory. I'm afraid I don't remember where. I do remember she was found with no wounds in her body, and no signs of attack."
The patched warrior stopped here, frowning lightly as he scoured his memory. Who had found her body? His whiskers twitched with mild frustration as he realized it was someone he should know... someone who he'd spoken to recently, perhaps? Or someone whom he'd heard about- Ears perked up as he remembered his latest outing with his beloved friend, Berrypaw. She had just spoken so highly of her mentor...
"Peachfrost," he mewed lightly, clearing his throat as he realized he'd just blurted out the warrior's name without context.
"She was the one who returned. With Bravebird... I believe." Snowybreeze fell silent here, his voice trailing away as he allowed Wolffang the needed time to process this. True, he was uncomfortable at the idea of admitting out loud that no sign of Deadmoon had been found since she had vanished, but this was not an attempt to stall. He would not do Bravebird the injustice of having her memory pushed to the side for other cats, no matter how dear to his heart they were. Every WindClanner was important and worthy of respect. Wolffang would let him know when he was ready to move on.
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TheNyanCatMinecart