[Hexict]

Originally Posted by Nighty

Around the same time Colby entered the clearing, Sunbreeze stalked out of the thickly woven nursery. Her orange and white pelt scraped against the low exit. Only during the leaf bare chills and green leaf heat did she appreciate that. She loved the fact that the nursery was very effective in blocking out the elements. The problem though was that the walls and roof were so thick, it made the inner side of the den very dark and hard to see, which was never really a good thing when tiny kits squirmed around everywhere. She shuddered as she felt some of the fir perked from her spine, but shrugged it off. She was getting warm in there anyways, and the chill of the cool air was refreshing. She inhaled deeply, letting the fresh, snow moist air fill her lungs. It was peaceful in the Clans once again, and she had no need to fear for her life, for her kits lives, or for the lives of the ones she held dear.

Sunbreeze cast one last glance into the nursery, making sure no cat was in need of her. She loved her kits and felt a fierce pride for them. She had lost two already, she couldn't loose the rest. Her first was lost due to her former mate's apprentice killing the young Mottlekit in anger and fury. That death had been hard to overcome, as she was one of her daughters. The second kit she had lost had been her son, born in her first and only litter. Graypaw had stayed with his father, Littlefang in Shadowclan. That too was hard, as she had wanted all her kits with her, but she had had to compromise with Littlefang. So when she received the vision from Graypaw soon after the Liberation battle, she was shocked back into grief to find one of her sons had been killed in the battle.She was getting better though, no matter how hard her depression and grief clawed at her heart, she tried her best to be strong and endure through the hardships.

She wrenched herself from her thoughts, and returned her focus back onto the reason she was out here. It had been last night when she had stopped to get something to eat. Sure the prey was low, but because she was a queen, she got some of the first dibs on prey. She knew she had to stay strong for her kits, it wasn't an option not to. She aimed her paws for the fresh kill pile, but her gaze landed on a mother site. Colby! she thought happily. It had been since before the liberation when she had talked to him last. Thoughts of food set aside, her guided her paws over to the Ebony tom cat. "Colby!" She called happily. She tail wade excitedly behind her and her already thickened winter pelt ruffled in her ecstasy. "Oh my gosh, it's been a while. How are you?" She asked, her vibrant blue hues searching his facial expression, his frame everything, soaking up the very experience that she was having with the first cat to make spher feel welcome after her breakup. Colby meant a lot to her, and she certainly knew that. He made her feel welcomed, and content, when she felt lost and betrayed. He had given her something to aim for in each day when she thought everything was lost.

(so sorry for the late reply! :c)

Despite his sapphire orbs gazing around the clearing in search for the white and orange molly, he heard her voice before seeing her. The onyx tom turned around and smiled when he saw Sunbreeze making her way towards him. His orbs light up when he saw her padding towards him, waving her tail in a happy and friendly manner. He was pleased to see that she seemed happy to have found him in the clearing. For a moment, the tom wasn't sure what to say at first as he sorted through his thoughts about possible topics.

He was glad to see that she seemed alright. There was a lot he had wanted to say to her. Colby knew how much Sunbreeze had hated Bucknight, so he was sure that she was pleased with his fall, though Colby was left suspicious of Russetstar as well, and wasn't sure how his friend - and crush - felt about the subject. He wondered if she would trust him easily. He was sure that the majority of the clan was just relieved that Bucknight was no longer leader, not caring too much who ended up with the title as long as they weren't like the tabby.

Plus, he wanted to ask her about her kits. Ask her if they had all been alright after the battle. Colby had tried to be there for his friend after she returned after the floods, separated from her Shadowclan mate and some of her kits had stayed with their father in the neighboring clan. So he hoped that her kits were fine too. The ebony cat realized that he hadn't shown too much interest in the kits despite Sunbreeze being one of his closest friends. He hoped that none had been hurt in the battle, nor any were sick. It was leaf-bare, and sickness was quite common around this time.

"Sunbreeze!" He called in return to her after she had called out his name and had reached him, waving his black time in response to her friendly wave. He smiled when she was first to start a question, asking how her friend was doing. He instinctively gave a glance around the clearing. He didn't like others listening to him, even though it wasn't a secret conversation and therefore didn't matter whether someone heard or not. "I'm doing good," he began. "How about you? I mean, how are your kits? How's Smokekit? Is she doing well, settling into the clan alright?" It felt strange for the tom to be asking about kits, but he did really care for Sunbreeze and found it strange how little interest he had shown in her kits, even the adopted ones... though Willowpaw kind of unnerved him. She had never acted like a kit, and seemed so mature for a young molly.

He flicked his tail for a moment, unsure if he was asking too much about the kits. Colby felt a bit embarrassed in case he was asking too much about her kits, especially Smokekit, her newest adoption. "And how do you feel about Russetstar?" He cocked his head as he asked this. "He doesn't seem bad, you know? But still... he wasn't deputy, and now is leader after our previous one was killed - which is how Bucknight took control, right?" The tom wasn't trying to worry the queen, but rather just know how she viewed it. If she wasn't worried then he would possibly calm down a bit, but if she was then he would keep an out eye on their newest leader.